Aesthetic Dentistry and Smile Design
1) Porcelain Laminate Veneers
What are Laminate Veneers (Leaf Porcelain)?
Laminate veneers are a highly aesthetic treatment method that uses adhesive bonding, either without any enamel removal or with a minimum of 0.7 mm of tooth enamel removal.
What are the Advantages of Laminate Veneers?
1) They either do not require any enamel removal or only require a minimum of 0.7 mm of tooth enamel removal.
2) They provide the closest aesthetic appearance to natural-looking teeth.
3) Teeth can be colored, shaped, and formed according to the patient's wishes.
4) They aesthetically close the spaces between teeth (diastema).
5) They provide an alternative to orthodontic treatment for patients with minimal crowding.
6) They provide aesthetically pleasing restorations for broken and worn teeth.
7) They are minimally affected by staining agents such as tea, coffee, and cigarettes.
8) They offer maximum wear resistance.
In What Situations Can Laminate Veneers Be Applied?
Porcelain laminate veneers can be applied whenever the patient's bite allows (they cannot be applied in cases such as an excessively deep bite or an excessively protruding lower jaw), as long as the patient's teeth are free of excessive tooth loss, and as long as the patient does not have any harmful habits such as nail biting or pencil biting.
What is the Treatment Process for Laminate Veneers?
At the initial consultation appointment, impressions of the patient's upper and lower jaws are taken, and models are prepared. The bite is examined using these models, and a study is conducted to determine the final treatment outcome. Following this study, minimal abrasion is performed on the teeth at the next appointment, if necessary, and permanent impressions are taken using digital or traditional impression methods. Based on these permanent impressions, the patient's porcelain laminate veneers are prepared. The total treatment time is approximately 7-10 days and is completed in 3-4 sessions.
What Restrictions Will I Have After Laminate Veneer Treatment?
To ensure you can enjoy your laminate veneers for many years, we strongly recommend avoiding actions that place excessive force on your front teeth (for example, opening nuts with your front teeth).
2) Smile Design
We believe that the most personal and special jewel a person can possess is their smile. Anyone who is uncomfortable with their teeth and smile faces numerous challenges in their social lives. As professional dentists, our responsibility is to restore not only their oral health but also their psychological well-being.
Smile design is the process of providing patients who are unhappy with the shape, color, and size of their teeth with various treatment options that match their desired shape, color, and size and their facial aesthetics.
Smiling is not just an action performed with the upper front teeth; all the teeth in the mouth, including the lips and tongue, form the entire smile. Deciding which teeth to treat and which treatment method to choose for smile design is crucial. You can make the best decision on this matter after consulting with your dentist.
3) Adhesive Bonding Method
In recent years, in aesthetic procedures, the use of traditional adhesive cements, which mostly adhere to teeth mechanically and with a small amount of chemical means, has been abandoned. This is due to the inadequate adhesion of these cements to custom-designed aesthetic restorations and their lack of aesthetic color compatibility with the teeth. These problems have begun to be overcome with adhesive bonding.
Adhesive bonding is the most modern bonding method that can be applied with various application protocols, adheres to teeth largely through chemical means, and matches tooth color. Adhesive bonding, which provides bonding without creating additional thickness with a very thin layer on the teeth, can bond teeth to teeth, porcelain to porcelain, aesthetic white fillings (composites), porcelain to zirconium, and porcelain to metal.
4) Zirconium Porcelains
Zirconium dental veneers are porcelain veneers based on zirconium dioxide. They are metal-free. Zirconium is converted into zirconia ceramic by fusing it with oxygen in special furnaces and used as a dental veneer. Zirconium metal, being both white and translucent, allows us to create natural-looking prostheses. Its advantages, such as its high strength and biocompatibility, make it one of the most preferred veneer methods in aesthetic dentistry in recent years.
5) Inlay-Onlay-Overlay Treatments
Inlay-onlay-overlay treatments are an alternative to fillings and crowns in cases where tooth material loss occurs due to decay, fracture, or abrasion.
The appropriate inlay-onlay-overlay treatment is selected based on the extent and location of the tooth material loss, and is usually made of porcelain and custom-made for the affected tooth.
The greatest advantages of inlay-onlay-overlay treatments are: High durability and wear resistance High aesthetic results High bonding to the teeth Minimum wear to healthy tooth tissue. 6) Aesthetic Fillings (Composite Restorations) Aesthetic fillings, also known as composite fillings, have been used in dentistry for approximately 30 years and are constantly evolving. Currently used composite fillings offer mechanical strengths very similar to teeth, provide a near-perfect aesthetic fit, are firmly bonded to the teeth using adhesive bonding, and can be applied by a dentist in a single visit. Composite fillings are actively and successfully used today for: Repairing material loss due to decay in back and front teeth Repairing material loss due to fracture in back and front teeth Closing gaps between teeth (diastema) Making composite laminate veneers in the frontal region Making temporary crowns Fixing traumatized teeth together (splints) Repairing broken porcelain veneers And many other similar treatments.