A patient visited Dr. Joe Willardsen, a cosmetic dentist from Las Vegas, wanting an aesthetic smile without the need to shave down her teeth. In a video case study, Willardsen shares how he used conservative prep and computer color matching to achieve a shave-free veneer with a stunning result.
The patient had old bonding on teeth #8 and #9 that kept chipping and discoloring. Willardsen removed the old restorations, replacing them with a composite buildup in a dentin shade. To get a perfect match, he also used a computer system that matches porcelain coloring to the tooth, composite, and cement.
"In this particular case that we're talking about I had to take into account what is my composite build-up color, what translucency or porcelain am I going to use, and what cement am I going to use?" Willardsen said. "We can prep a little more conservatively than what we're used to and what we have been taught in dental school."
See the patient transformation in the video below.
Disclaimer: Willardsen is a consultant and/or speaker for Kuraray Noritake.
Dr. Joseph Willardsen graduated from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. Willardsen is trained and certified as a biomimetic instructor through the Alleman-Deliperi Centers for Biomimetic Dentistry. He established and operates Esthetic Alliance, a cosmetic-focused dental lab, and True Dentistry in Las Vegas.
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