The second option is for the orthodontist to move the laterals into the middle of the space. The restorative dentist can then create ideally sized teeth. This gives the orthodontist the correct proportions for all the front teeth and allows the orthodontics to be finished without worrying about leaving spaces that are exact. However, it is a more difficult task for the restorative dentist.
Stone model during orthodontics
So the photo in the post below shows a ‘peg’ lateral that is very small proportionally compared to the other teeth around it. Knowing this, the orthodontist and I discussed our options. We could do one of two possible treatments. Both would lead to my eventual bonding of the tooth, or in this case, BOTH laterals, to increase the size and correct the proportion between all of this young lady’s teeth.
Many, many people have teeth that are undersized, or too small, compared to their other teeth. Often these are the lateral incisors. When they are very small they are often called ‘Peg’ laterals. If these are found in a child you should have a frank discussion with your dentist and orthodontist about the ultimate plan for these teeth. Here’s an example of this:
And only a little more, and you can REALLY see all the cavity!!
Cavity revealed
Just saw this patient and thought we’d take photos of the procedure because I could see a ’shadow’ in the tooth, but absolutely nothing on her x-ray. Having done many teeth similarly, I thought this would be a good teaching case. Here’s a photo of the tooth before we started:
Tooth with cavity
So this piece of a crown was broken, and we needed to get the patient fixed up as quickly as possible.
Broken porcelain
The solution? We quickly re-bonded the piece back into place.
Bonding broken porcelain
These two teeth were in need of some help. The one had a large, old tooth-colored filling that had begun to discolor and decay. The tooth behind it also had a very large tooth-colored filling and was also starting to develop a cavity. You can see the margin of an old porcelain crown on the tooth behind it.
Old filling
A ‘wake board’ is what took care of the edge of this tooth. Ideally we’d like to retain the fractured portion of the tooth and try and bond it back onto the remaining tooth structure. When fit properly the crack is almost imperceptible and the tooth remains stable for a very long time. But since this was long-gone (sitting at the bottom of a lake somewhere) we would have to re-build the tooth out of composite.
Fractured tooth
I’ve stated before that I’m a big fan of the Firefox operating system. It feels a little faster that Internet explorer, has a few less bugs, and is still REALLY cool! Having said all that, this article to ’speed up’ Firefox was pretty interesting. I’m going to give it a try….if it doesn’t work I guess I’ll be using something else!
Article
My web site has added a few new photos of the office (with a special thanks to Tony and Jeff for the ‘update’). Check it out here.
