Cosmetic dentistry for men

November 12, 2011 alexnguyen

Cosmetic dentistry is not only for women. A significant amount of my work involves enhancing the smiles of my male patients. Here is a case I finished 9 months ago. I just had the chance to see the patient again today for a follow-up visit and photos. I did this case with a combination of bite adjustments, teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, and resin bonding. Some of the detailed characteristics of the teeth were done specifically to the patient's request.

Images of actual patients of Alex Nguyen, DDS are Copyrighted and Digitally Embedded to track Unauthorized Use.

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Alex Nguyen, DDS is a Saratoga Dentist who practices General Dentistry, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry. For over 20 years the practice has been serving the residents of Santa Clara County and San Francisco Bay Area.

How Come the Color Could Never Match For Crowns on the Front Teeth?

September 11, 2011 alexnguyen

The two front teeth are the most commonly restored teeth. They erupt into the mouth at about the age of eight, and being positioned in front of the mouth they often sustain the most damage. Color is not the only parameter required to match the two front teeth with the rest of the teeth in the smile. Among other factors, we have to also match contour, surface texture, and shade variations of different areas of the teeth. Matching the front teeth is like sculpting a portrait of what they used to look like. That is the only way they will blend in with the natural dentition. Furthermore, the two front teeth serve as a very important guidance for joint stability and function. We must approach the front teeth in more than one dimension.

When done correctly, restorations for the front teeth will disappear into the rest of the smile. Here is a testimony from a recent case I delivered last week.

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Email dated 9/09/2011

Dear Dr. Alex,

I want to personally thank you for the wonderful job you did on my case. Although it took longer than I anticipated, it was worth the wait and I am very pleased with the end result. You definitely have the knack for how teeth should look and function. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and professionalism. ...Again, I want to thank you for a job well done.

P.S. you will soon have another positive review on Yelp :)

Sincerely,

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What is tetracycline stain?

June 27, 2011 alexnguyen

Tetracycline is an antibiotic. At the age of three, children have already developed tooth buds of the permanent teeth inside the jaw. When tetracycline is given to children, this drug penetrates the developing tooth buds and incorporates itself into the tooth structure. When the teeth erupt into the mouth, the result is bands of dark stains with usually a combination of brown, gray, and yellow colors. These stains make up the actual colors of the teeth and are impossible to bleach completely into normal white teeth colors.

Note: Once a tooth has erupted into the mouth and the root of that tooth has completely formed, tetracycline cannot affect that tooth. It is also a misconception that all antibiotics will cause yellowing of teeth.

The human eyes are used to seeing the smile with white teeth. Smiles with dark tetracycline teeth are not as esthetically pleasing as smiles with normal white shades of teeth.

Porcelain veneers done on tetracycline stained teeth are very difficult for many reasons. A clinician has to mask out the dark colors underneath, and create at the same time the proper tooth form, contour, texture, and details of the edges of the natural tooth.

Here are the before and after photos of a case where I used porcelain veneers to enhance a severely tetracycline stained smile. The after photo was taken two weeks after delivery. The gum tissue will continue to heal and adapt to the new porcelain, and the colors of the porcelain teeth will become even more realistic after some time. In this case the patient opted for a super white shade, yet with proper planning and execution we can still create a natural looking smile.

Images of actual patients of Alex Nguyen, DDS are Copyrighted and Digitally Embedded to track Unauthorized Use.

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Details in the Fabric - Fine Cosmetic Dentistry is All About the Details

January 24, 2011 alexnguyen

Whether you like the shape of your teeth to be more square or more rounded, the key to a life-like porcelain restoration is the details of translucency layering, internal color structure, and reflection of light on the surface texture. Visually, depth is perceived in the fabricated piece of porcelain when light penetrates the porcelain to the same degree that it will penetrate natural tooth structure. Like a painter's canvas, the smile is my fabric.

Images of actual patients of Alex Nguyen, DDS are Copyrighted and Digitally Embedded to track Unauthorized Use.

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Smiles of Regret. Who Do You Choose to Restore Your Teeth?

November 19, 2010 alexnguyen

Over the years I have had the opportunity to see cases of patients who came to me for initial consultation but ended up elsewhere for the completion of their dental work. Here are some cases where the patients returned to me a few years later to express their discontent and to complain about problems with their teeth. These are smiles of regret. Who do you choose to restore your teeth? Sometimes people will make their choices based on beautiful advertisements that they see. Sometimes the choice may be based on a price tag that may fit their budget at that particular moment. The key to remember is that an unsuccessful restorative case may eventually cost you more time and money to have the work redone.

CASE I: Excess cement materials left under the gum line and around every single restoration. This caused chronic inflammation of the gum and bone loss over time. The patient was also unhappy with the esthetic result.

CASE II: Restorations done without regards to the foundation of this patient's bite. After 3 years, there are gaps between teeth, crowns with open margins, crowns that are breaking away, and discomfort on chewing. There are even teeth left unrestored. The patient was also unhappy with the esthetic result.

Images of actual patients of Alex Nguyen, DDS are Copyrighted and Digitally Embedded to track Unauthorized Use

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