Cosmetic Dentistry Orange County | Huefner Sensational Smiles Blog

Serving Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Santa Margarita, and Surrounding Areas Of Orange County, California

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Porcelain Veneers and Crowns, Smile Style Part II

When getting a "new smile", either with porcelain veneers, bonding or all-porcelain crowns, it is a serious decision. Of course, you'll want to choose the color teeth that you think makes you look your very best, but how about the length, shape and proportion of the teeth? In many respects, that may have more influence on the final result than just the color. Your dentist, as a cosmetic artist, will suggest a "smile style" that he or she thinks will give you the best overall look.

So, what is the perfect “smile style” for your new porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns? In my previous article about Smile Design, I discussed that there are over 30,000 different ways that a cosmetic dentist can create a new smile and one of the most popular “smile guides”, Dr. William Dickerson’s “LVI Smile Library”. This article features my other favorite “smile guides”, the Lorin Library, created by cosmetic dentist Dr. Lorin Berland of Dallas, TX. Each smile style is a combination of the teeth shapes for the front six teeth. For example, the four front teeth (incisors) could be either square at the corners (s), square at one corner and rounded at the other (sr), or rounded at both corners (r). Similarly, the cuspids or eye teeth (third tooth back) could be pointed (p), rounded (r) or flat (f). Combining these different shapes each produces a uniquely different smile style. Note that the first smile design on the top left has a r-r-f design, meaning the four incisors are rounded and the canines are flat. Please note, this smile library below is only to choose the basic shape of the front six teeth, and in no way reflect the color, length, surface texture or translucency that the porcelain veneers or crowns will have. Those other things are addressed in other aspects of smile design and choosing the best combination for your “sensational new smile”.
Loren library
In creating a new smile for you with porcelain veneers or all-ceramic crowns, we could use any of the above 18 smile designs from the Lorin Library or any of the 12 smile designs from the “LVI Smile Library”. However, in general I recommend against smile designs that have the cuspids (third teeth back from the center) too pointy (p) or too flat (f). Pointy cuspids can make the smile look to aggressive and flat cuspids can render an older looking smile. It is so important in the beginning of treatment that my patient involve themselves in an active discussion with me regarding the different smile styles available and which would be most appropriate for them. We take into consideration the age, face shape, personality and a host of other things when recommending one smile style over another. Using our technique called “the trial smile” we’re able to make provisional veneers or crowns so that our patient can “test drive” their new smile prior to making any final decision regarding the smile design for their final porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns. This is very helpful, as many patients are very relieved that they can try out their smile before making their final decision.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 9:10 AM

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

New Smile for Kathy with Porcelain Veneers

What is smile rejuvenation with cosmetic dentistry? Depending on your unique situation it could simply mean doing only one cosmetic procedure, or sometimes utilizing a combination of a couple of these cosmetic dental procedures to make your teeth and smile look better and younger: bleaching (teeth whitening), porcelain veneers, composite bonding, porcelain crowns, orthodontics, replacing old fillings with tooth colored fillings, laser gum reshaping or esthetic recontouring (reshaping the edges of the teeth).

Kathy is a baby boomer and like many she had much old dentistry. The problem was that all that was ever done was “fix the tooth” at a time, with little or no regard for the big picture….creating natural good looking teeth and smile. The result was a hodge-podge of dentistry.

Old dentistry and orthodontics didn't give Kathy a great smile to be proud of.

Her front two caps didn’t match the rest of her teeth and the metal edge on the one was showing. Her gums were uneven and after having two teeth pulled for braces, the orthodontics collapsed her side teeth so that all you really saw when she smiled was her front six teeth. She has some old fillings and crowns that had discolored her teeth as well. What Kathy wanted now as a “new look”, one that gave her a great smile that she wouldn’t be self conscious about any more. A sensational smile that she could be proud of!

Kathy was treated in just two visits, giving her that sensational smile she wanted. Some laser gum reshaping (also called a “gum lift”) was done to make the gum levels even, her front two porcelain-on-metal crowns were replaced with two all-porcelain crowns (non-metal), porcelain veneers were placed on the other visible teeth so that all her smile would have a beautiful, natural color. Of particular note, the side teeth that leaned in because of the poorly done orthodontics was corrected by placing veneers to widen her smile, giving the illusion that no teeth were pulled. Now when she smiles she shows a full compliment of teeth, not just the front six teeth!

Rejuvenated new smile with porcelain veneers, two porcelain crowns, and laser gum reshaping.

Kathy’s final results now allow her to smile with pride and look her very best.

Kathy's smile rejuvenated with porcelain veneers and cosmetic dentistry

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 5:48 AM

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Porcelain Veneers Don't Stain or Get Darker Over the Years by Dr. Huefner

One of the biggest concerns people have about their smile is that their teeth discolor over the years. Bleaching is one answer, but often it has to be repeated and doesn't produce teeth as white as patient want. Porcelain veneers is an answer to whiter teeth, and also many other issues (such as size, crowding, proportion, shape, length, etc.), but many patients want to know that their new smile with porcelain veneers won't change color and darken over the years. This was certainly something that used to happen with plastic bonding that was done a decade or so ago.
Fortunately, with a smile on my face, I can assure my cosmetic dentistry patients that by using porcelain veneers we almost never see this the veneers darken over time. Porcelain veneers are dense and smooth as glass, and as such rarely pick up any stain. In placing porcelain veneers for over 20 years I have only had one instance where my patient had veneers that were staining, and that was because he was an avid cigar smoker. After polishing off the cigar stain and showing him a few techniques to improve his brushing habits, his veneers never seemed to pick up any stain after that. However, natural teeth and the older fashioned plastic veneers (which we used to use a lot in the 1980s when cosmetic bonding was first introduced into dentistry) will pick up stain and will often times darken over the years. To help overcome this, natural teeth can be polished in the dental office and bleaching treatments can be used. Old fashioned plastic bonding used to get a yellowish discoloration over the years because of the hardener incorporated into it, but with newer hardeners used today this rarely happen any more, but they still tend to stain and chip more than porcelain. However because of the superior color stability and increased strength of porcelain veneers, most dentists doing significant smile enhancements prefer using porcelain rather than plastic bonding for their patients.
Here is a photo of a patient who returned to my practice 19 years after I did porcelain veneers on her upper front four teeth. Notice that the veneers still match her other upper teeth, no wear or chipping, and they still have a great shine.
19yroldveneers
THE FACT THAT THESE VENEERS ABOVE WERE DONE 19 YEARS AGO SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE COLOR RESISTANCE AND DURABILITY OF PORCELAIN VENEERS!

It is interesting that this patient returned to my practice because she now wanted all her teeth whiter. This brings up a very important point, that since porcelain veneers don’t discolor it is essential that the cosmetic dentist and patient together choose an appropriate color for the new veneers. Back in 1986 when I originally placed those four porcelain veneers almost all patients and dentists tried to make teeth look natural and not too light in color, as those were the times before teeth whitening procedures became so common. But these days most all patients want whiter and brighter smiles, and choose colors to make them look younger, cleaner and more professional. Thus, when patients have darker teeth, like this lady, today we would generally recommend to do porcelain veneers on 8-10 teeth, to create a more esthetic and homogenous smile that goes along with the lighter color. These are some examples of more current smile makeover with veneers that we are doing in our practice. Note the lighter, more attractive colors currently in vogue.
Porcelainveneers5Porcelainveneers4Porcelainveneers3Porcelainveneers1Porcelainveneers2
Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 8:21 AM

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Spaced, Crooked Teeth Transformed into Beautiful Smile with Porcelain Veneers and Crowns by Dr. Huefner

Symmetry is one of the most important concepts in facial beauty, and this is oftentimes very important especially with regards to slanted or crooked teeth and their effect on the smile. Spaced teeth that were also crooked and angled to one side really bothered Shannon, as it gave her a “lopsided” smile. In addition to that, she didn’t like the color or the shape of her teeth either. She knew how important nice looking teeth and smile are and soon had some special events coming up that she really wanted to have a nice smile for.

BEFORE

She consulted with us to find out what her options were with cosmetic dentistry. After evaluating her teeth and smile, and finding out more just what kind of smile she wanted, we advised doing her cosmetic dentistry with porcelain veneers. It would only takes a few visits, and Shannon could have her new smile completed in little over a month. Understandingly, she was appreshensive, but couldn’t wait to get started on her new smile.

AFTER

Above is the sensational new smile we created for Shannon with porcelain veneers. Note how symmetrical her smile is now, and doesn’t lean towards one side. Also how the edges of the teeth follow the curve of her lower lip. That is an important concept in cosmetic dentistry, called following the “smile line“. The thing that Shannon like best was the color, how much whiter and brighter her smile was, but still extremely natural looking.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 10:22 AM

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Creating a Great Smile by Replacing Old Porcelain Caps with New All-Ceramic Cosmetic Dentistry

Hating the two old "caps" that had been placed on her two front teeth a number of years ago, Tracy wanted teeth that looked natural and would give her a nicer looking smile.

BEFORE

When we looked closely at Tracy's smile we noticed that there were several other problems besides just having bad looking caps. There was a disproportion of her teeth size (the front two teeth were too wide and thick and the rest of her teeth were too small). She showed too much of her gums when she smiles. The gums and root areas around the front two teeth were dark. Her side teeth leaned in and because of that, didn't pick up much light and made her teeth look darker. Also, she really wanted a whiter, brighter smile.

After much discussion Tracy decided on having her two front caps redone with new all-porcelain crowns and have porcelain veneers on her other teeth. Also, to have some minor gum reshaping with the dental laser so that there would be less of her gums showing and that the gums that did show would be more even. Here is the results we achieved with Tracy's new smile with porcelain veneers and two new porcelain crowns.

AFTER

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 1:05 PM

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Smile Rejuvenation: Making Older Looking Teeth Younger Again with Porcelain Veneers

Monica is in her 40s but her teeth and smile were in their 80s! She was embarrassed to smile in photographs and would even put her hand in front of her mouth when speaking with others up close.
Before recommending any treatment Dr. Huenfer and Monica spent considerable time discussing what were her "needs," "wants" and "expectations" with regard to cosmetic dentistry. She said she wanted a really nice smile, and definitely whiter and more youthful looking teeth. Dr. Huefner wanted to know in her mind what her "ideal smile" would be? Then he could recommend the appropriate cosmetic dental treatment, which includes decisions as to the color, length and shape of the teeth. Also, the type of porcelain and the type of dental restoration (porcelain veneer, all-porcelain crown, porcelain-on-metal crown or composite bonding).
Monica had a much older looking smile and wanted a more youthful smile

After much discussion with Monica Dr. Huefner recommended the she have a smile makeover with all-ceramic restorations, porcelain veneers and a few all-porcelain crowns. She agreed to begin treatment according to Dr. Huefner's recommendations, and her treatment was completed in just a few weeks!

Monica's rejuvenated smile with porcelain veneers and all-porcelain crowns by Dr. Huefner

Monica was absolutely delighted with the final results of her cosmetic dentistry. By her own admission "it took off thirty years off of my face!"

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 8:12 AM

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Smile Makeover with Porcelain Veneers Featured in the MAC Calendar

Tracy Kemble was recently featured in the MAC calendar for the month of April. Dr. Huefner did Tracy's smile makeover with MAC porcelain veneers. Tracy's photo also appeared on the cover of the Journal of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Beautiful Tracy with her beautiful new smile....a picture is worth a thousand words, especially if the picture is of someone as gorgeous as Tracy! Of course all of Tracy's veneers were fabricated by one of MAC's (Microdental Advanced Ceramics) award winning ceramists!

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 11:55 AM

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Porcelain Veneers for Ms. California-Globe by Orange County Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Huefner

There are many things that help people be the "best that they can be." Many things come to mind: appearance, eduction, hard work, attitude, etc. When competing in a beauty pageant those things are important, however how one appearance on stage might be one of the most important things a judge would consider. Along with that, a beautiful smile weighs very heavily!

Jen know this and wanted a more beautiful smile before competing in the Mrs. U.S.-Globe Beauty Pageant. She was the reigning Ms. California-Globe. Dr. Huefner created a stunning smile for her with porcelain veneers several months prior to the pageant.



Above photo shows the close up of the particular type of smile design we used from the LVI smile catalog. It is called the "enhanced smile style", a design that we have found to be one of our most pupular with women. Click LVI Smile Catalog to see examples of other smile styles.

After creating Jen’s new smile Dr. Huefner did her photoshoot in his cosmetic dental studio and entered the photo on the left in the Smile Gallery competition at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and won his second gold medal.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 10:25 AM

Thursday, November 5, 2009

A Mature Woman Looks 10 years Younger with Smile Makeover and Porcelain Veneers

Martha is a lady who takes great pride in her appearance. She has worked hard over the years to be healthy and always look her best. Unfortunately Martha's smile hadn't kept up with the rest of her. Her teeth got progressively darker, had worn and shifted, leaving a gap between her front two teeth. She had one crown placed by her family dentist a few years earlier, but she expressed "it doesn't match my other teeth at all!".

Martha's teeth and smile were not reflective of the rest of her appearance and how well she took care of herself

She came to Dr. Huefner to discuss her options with cosmetic dentistry and she was very precise in listing all of the things about her teeth that she didn't like: 1) the dark color 2) her pointed cuspids (which she called her "fangs") 3) the mismatched cap on her front tooth 4) the space between her front teeth 5) the old mercury fillings that made her side teeth appear black.

After analyzing her teeth and smile, Martha decided on having Dr. Huefner replace the old porcelain-metal crown with an all-ceramic crown, and then having porcelain veneers on the rest of her visible upper teeth.

Beautiful smile created for Martha, taking years off of her face

As is obvious from the photo above, Martha's new smile with cosmetic dentistry turned out great! She was extremely pleased with the results and the efforts of Dr. Huefner's artistry.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 10:56 AM

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Porcelain Veneers Create Sensational Smiles for Mark without Orthodontics

Mark, a very successful businessman, had crooked, yellow and worn teeth. Dealing with clients and the public he became increasingly self conscious about the appearance of his smile. He had been told that braces would make his teeth straight, but as busy as he was going to the orthodontist for two years just wasn't an option that Mark would seriously consider. He realized that at the end he would have straight teeth, but they would still be worn, misshaped and discolored. Wasn't there a better or easier way to have a great smile?
After consulting with several cosmetic dentists, Mark came to get Dr. Huefner's opinion. Dr. Huefner listened carefully to Mark and after fully understanding his goals and expectations, did a preliminary smile design consultation.

Mark's crooked and worn teeth before cosmetic dentistry

Fortunately, Mark's teeth could be changed into a beautiful smile with porcelain veneers in just a few visits. But, Mark really wanted to have a good idea of the final results before he began treatment. Also, he wasn't sure how white he wanted his new teeth and if Dr. Huefner would create the teeth with the best shape for his face. Was there anyway that Mark could preview the results before treatment actually began?
Dr. Huefner assured Mark that he understood his concerns, as many of his patients had expressed the same thing. The answer, Dr. Huefner told Mark, was in the "trial smile", the "test drive" of the final porcelain veneers.
Briefly, Mark would walk out after his first treatment visit with Dr. Huefner with a great looking smile. But, that smile would not be his final smile, it would be plastic veneers, called the "trial smile" that Dr. Huefner could change or reshape according to Mark's wishes. Then when Mark gave Dr. Huefner his final approval, Dr. Huefner would instruct his master ceramist (who actually constructs the porcelain veneers) the precise design for each and every porcelain veneer....the length, shape, color, texture, translucency, opacity, etc.
After hearing that, Mark felt much more comfortable about proceeding with his treatment.

Mark's "trial smile"

As you might imagine from the photo above of Mark wearing his "trial smile", he was trilled with the amazing improvement. He gave is full approval of his "trial smile" design and final porcelain veneers were fabricated by Dr. Huefner's ceramist according to the design that Mark and Dr. Huefner specified.
End result, a very satisfied patient with a great smile achieved with porcelain veneers!
Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

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posted by Dr. Norman Huefner at 10:07 AM

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