A Caucasian male in his 30s presented with a trauma case on the (patient’s) right central incisor (11) – had an accident while playing football. He was also concerned about the appearance of the (patient’s) right lateral incisor (12) – it appears too short and narrow in his words.

 

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11 is a non-vital tooth with minor discolouration in the stump (c.f., Fig 1); thus, we selected a zirconia restoration. The opacity of Lava Zirconia was suitable for slight masking, and its aesthetic advantage in complex colour matching.

 

12 is a healthy, vital tooth clinically speaking (c.f., Fig 1), thus we required only a minor conservative prep to proceed with the refractory veneer. Additionally, bleaching was completed two weeks before the shade taking session (Fig 2), and incisal edge on the left central incisor was reduced fraction as requested by the patient.

 

Technically speaking, the colour matching between the different materials (i.e., refractory veneer and zirconia) is considered challenging. Still, for this case, it is just a matter of getting the single central matching with the adjacent 21, and let the natural colour of 12 come through the stump on 12 (an easy match as long as the shape is correct based on the patient’s desires).

 

This case is special to me because it was the first patient that I treated (i.e., meeting the patient and conducting the consultation, taking photos for the shade and records etc.) after establishing my smile design studio – Smile by Yugo – back in 2008.

 

In all honesty, I felt I had no idea what I was doing at that time to an extent due to the lack of confidence in running the newly established business. Still, my will and passion for achieving the patient’s best possible outcome were right there from the beginning. I was pleased to meet the satisfied patient two weeks after the case was issued, and this is where I thought of creating a before and after card to capture the experience of the journey – i.e., what the dental team can offer for the patients who are deeply concerned about their appearance.

 

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This case was subsequently presented in the national promotion booklet by 3M ESPE to demonstrate what the zirconia restoration can achieve (which was new at that time).

 

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Acknowledgement:

 

I would like to thank Dr Jeff Agius from Refresh Dental Care, in Miranda NSW Australia, for his clinical excellence and photographs. http://www.refreshdentalcare.com.au/

 

This case was issued in September 2008 with no remakes.

 

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