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.

[slideshow]

........................................................................................

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.

Help End Domestic Violence !

October 21, 2011 alexnguyen

October is national domestic violence awareness month. It has been a long standing tradition for our office to donate teeth whitening procedures to raise fund for the Give Back a Smile program of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Please call our office if you have the need for teeth whitening and would like to join us in this great cause. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RGPrYDUlTM]

A Cerec crown failure. Brand or Technique problem?

October 8, 2011 alexnguyen

Cerec is a brand of Cad-Cam machines which mill out porcelain crowns while the patient is waiting in the office. The concept is marvelous because who would not want to walk home with a brand new crown in just one visit? Let's talk about this... The sequence of treatment of a cad-cam fabricated crown would be:

1. The dentist prepares the tooth for the crown.

2. The tooth structure is scanned into the computer using a special camera.

3. The computer activates the Cerec machine to mill out the crown.

4. The dentist cements or bonds the crown onto the tooth.

This Xray shows a molar with a Cerec crown that crumbled during dinner one night... What went wrong?

Upon repairing the tooth I discovered some obvious problems:

1. There was extensive decay in the tooth structure underneath the crown. This could have severely compromise the strength of the bond and could have caused the crown to come loose over time.

2. The existing root canal on the tooth was under-filled.

3. The gum tissue around the remaining tooth structure was extremely inflamed. This is a sign that the junction between the tooth and the crown was not properly sealed.

When choosing dental work, it is important to not base your decision on a "brand". Instead, it is crucial to find a dentist who delivers dentistry with strong emphasis on technique.

A crown on a tooth will only last if the following are handled properly:

1. Proper technique in treating the tooth with a root canal when needed.

2. Proper technique in building up the tooth structure underneath after the root canal.

3. Proper technique in scanning the tooth structure.

Technique, technique, technique !

Good dentistry is all about good old-fashioned health care. Treat brands with a grain of salt. With a little bit of research you will discover your key to a long lasting dentition.

........................................................................................

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.

.......................

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,

........................................................................................

Why Should Adults Consider Orthodontic Treatments?

August 28, 2011 alexnguyen

It is not uncommon that I recommend my patients to consider orthodontic treatments to straighten their teeth. Sometimes my adult patients' initial reaction would sound something like: "I am too old for that, and I never thought about the cosmetics of my smile..." Having straight teeth is not ALL about cosmetics.

The misalignment of teeth can cause a variety of problems ranging from TMJ issues, to bone loss, to excess fractures and wear facets on the teeth. This type of break down in the dentition can take many years to manifest. Unfortunately, sometimes when the patient starts to notice the problems, the solutions may require a complex combination of orthodontics and restorative treatments.

Properly aligned teeth actually follow very scientific principles created by nature to establish the most stable functional foundation. When teeth are properly aligned, certain functional movements of the jaw allow for optimum chewing, relaxed muscle state, and ideal joint health. The cosmetics of the smile is automatically achieved secondarily when the functional foundation is established. Finding the right orthodontist is key to successful treatment.

Hence, when you choose to have orthodontic treatment done, you are stabilizing the most important aspect of the dentition: To allow you to sustain life by being able to chew effectively throughout the course of your life span. As the human life span continues to lengthen, it is extremely important to make sure that you will continue to have a stable dentition for your chewing needs.

In the photos below you will find a smile with "crooked teeth". Whereas the patient was never concerned with the cosmetics of her smile before, she has lately been concerned with the fractures lines and wear facets indicated by the red arrows. Her question to me at the last check-up was: "What would my teeth look like...say ten years down the line..."

My answer to her was: "They would look more broken down, and you will also notice problems with the back teeth as well."

So as you can see... My recommendation for this patient to choose orthodontic treatment was based on achieving proper function, and not ALL about cosmetics.

........................................................................................