When teeth change position, the overall appearance can be affected. This is normally noticed from subtraction and not addition, or after tooth loss. While the resulting beauty is a matter of opinion, tooth loss CAN have other effects too. The overall appearance may be minor and barely noticeable, but significance is a matter of personal opinion.
One of the great challenges in dentistry is treating a single front tooth. Our teeth are made up of a pulp covered by dentin with an enamel outer layer. This enamel layer is what we see, what gives teeth its white color (or “whitish” if they have become yellow over time). What we perceive is from how the light interacts with the enamel, the light reflecting and refracting (or bending). “Perception is everything.”
Different Materials Act Differently
In dentistry, teeth are fixed with bonded composite resin, porcelain fused to metal crowns or all-porcelain crowns and veneers. While it may seem simple, it is very difficult to get teeth to match perfectly, and if perfection is a goal it may be best to get used to disappointment.
It is not unusual to have a fee in a dental office that is higher for front teeth than in the back. Often the fee from the lab is increased and the likelihood of multiple tries (appointments) to “get it right.” Sometimes different brands of porcelain match a person better than others, so finding the right material is important as well.
The placebo effect works for medicine, exercise, and vision. Now, apparently, it works for sleep. According to a recent study, if people are told they got “above average” quality sleep, they were better at performing cognitive tests.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news. NOTHING dentists place lasts forever. Some things fail more slowly than others, but if you expect your dental work to last the rest of your life, get used to disappointment (extra points if you know what movie that is from. Don’t cheat and Google it).
There are many methods to treat a dead or dying tooth with root canal therapy. Some methods are not as efficient as others and often leave significant post operative discomfort or low success rates. Dr Timmerman only uses the most modern methods, which come with greater comfort and greater success rates.
