Cosmetic Dentistry Orange County | Huefner Sensational Smiles Blog

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

Labels: irvine porcelain veneers, mission viejo porcelain crowns, orange county cosmetic dentist, teeth whitening aliso viejo

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

Labels: fang teeth, irvine porcelain veneers, teeth whitening ladera ranch, younger smile cosmetic dentistry

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

Labels: huntington beach cosmetic dentist, irvine porcelain veneers, lumineers mission viejo, trial smile for porcelain veneers

Charlotte didn't like the way her teeth looked. She had "gaps" (spaces) between several of her teeth and had a single porcelain cap on her front tooth that didn't match her other teeth. Also, she had multicolored teeth and had always wanted a bright, white smile!

Charlotte didn't like the spaces and discolored teeth.

After consulting with Dr. Huefner and explaining to him exactly the kind of smile she wanted, Charlotte asked if she would be a good candidate for porcelain veneers? Would that solve the problems she didn't like about her teeth and smile?

Actually, Charlotte was perfect for porcelain veneers and replacing the single cap on her front tooth. Dr. Huefner could make her visible teeth all the same color, fill the gaps, make the teeth younger looking and in better proportion.

Charlotte after replacing the front cap with an all ceramic crown and placing porcelain veneers on the other teeth to fill the gaps and give her a bright, white smile!

From beginning to end, Charlotte cosmetic dental treatment took three appointments and was completed in three weeks. As you can see from the photo above, Charlotte was very happy with the end results of the smile created by Dr. Huefner.

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

Labels: cosmetic dentist mission viejo, irvine porcelain veneers, orange county lumineers, teeth whitening aliso viejo

As a young girl Betty knocked out one of her front teeth when she tripped while playing soccer. Her dentist made her a bridge which served her well for fifteen years. The only problem was SHE HATED THE WAY IT LOOKED!

Betty hated her old porcelain-metal bridge.

She came to Dr. Huefner because she was engaged and wanted a beautiful smile for her wedding. Betty had been thinking about how she didn't like the way her front teeth and bridge looked for years and had very specific things in mind for her new smile. She didn't just want a new porcelain bridge replaced to match her other teeth, she wanted a bright, white smile and "perfect teeth". This meant that other teeth would needs some help as well.

Dr. Huefner suggested replacing the old bridge a newer material called e-max which doesn't contain any silver or gold metal underneath. He also recommended placing porcelain veneers on her other teeth. This way all the teeth would have the same bright, white color and also would allow Dr. Huefner to make them the optimum shape and length.

Betty's new smile with an e-max porcelain bridge and porcelain veneers

The final results were incredible and Betty absolutely loved the whiter, more natural and youthful smile that Dr. Huefner created for her.

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

Labels: irvine porcelain veneers, orange county cosmetic dentistry, porcelain bridge mission viejo, teeth whitening dana point

When considering cosmetic dentistry and a smile makeover what is the perfect “smile style” for your new porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns? In previous articles I discussed that there are over 30,000 different ways that a cosmetic dentist can create a new smile and that there are over 60 different documented “smile styles” available for cosmetic dentists to use as guide and to better communicate with to the cosmetic dental patient and the dental ceramist. In this article we’ll discuss one of the most popular “smile guides”, Dr. William Dickerson’s “LVI Smile Library”. I am particularly fond of this library, as I started my advanced cosmetic training at Dr. Dickerson’s prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies over a decade ago. And since then, following many of the concepts I learned under his tutelage, I’ve done several thousand porcelain veneers and cosmetic crowns, created sensational smiles for hundreds of my patients. 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, square at one corner and rounded at the other, or rounded at both corners. Similarly, the cuspids or eye teeth (third tooth back) could be pointed, rounded or flat. Combining these different shapes each produces a uniquely different smile style. 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”.

For most females, the “Enhanced” smile style is one of our most popular designs. Note that the second teeth from the center are a little shorter than the front teeth. This is a youthful effect we call “the gull wing” that really looks nice on females. The “Hollywood” style above is a little more “toothy” and works well for males and especially those wanting to show off a little more teeth. The “Oval” style might look best on someone with a very round face. Notice how very round the edges of the four front teeth are? The “Aggressive” style has tooth edges that are flat almost straight across. We use it mostly for men and it simulates someone who might be a bit older and have a habit of grinding his teeth. The “Youthful” style simulates the shape of unworn teeth that might be seen in a 14 year old. Although many adults like this name because they think it might give them the illusion of being significantly younger, we almost always utilize this design in much younger individuals. The “Mature” style has squarish edges on the four front teeth and is another design that we frequently use for men. The “Softened” style is a very popular design that we use for those wanting their smile to help make them appear a little younger than their years. It is my preference to use smile designs that have the cuspids (also called canines, the third teeth back on each side) that are slightly round, not flat (too old looking) or pointed (too aggressive looking). It is important that both the patient and cosmetic dentist actively discuss the different smile styles at the beginning of the smile makeover process. 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.

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

Labels: irvine porcelain veneers, Lumineers Rancho Santa Margarita, orange county cosmetic dentist, porcelain crowns laguna niguel

Most people would agree that your smile is very important to you. Many might say that it even sends a message to the whole world about you…about your health, about how you take care of yourself, about how good you look, etc. Your smile is about a third of what you see of your face, so to many that is very important.

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Dawn was congenitally missing her two upper lateral incisors. This is a common problem, as 3-5% of the U.S. population are congenitally missing either one or two lateral incisors or lower bicuspids.

Dawn congenitally missing her two lateral incisors

She had braces for two years and the orthodontist had put two false teeth on her retainer. Now 18 years old and soon going off to college, she was becomming increasingly dissatisfied with the appearance of her teeth and smile and wanted an improvement before she left. What were her options, she asked Dr. Huefner.

One option was dental implants, however that is not a good choice until her facial growth is completed, which it hadn't in her case. It may be five or more years until she could have implants.

Another choice was a better removable partial denture than she currently had. But she hated the fact that it came in and out and really wanted a more permanent solution.

The traditional treatment would be two 3-unit porcelain bridges. However that would mean that the teeth on both sides of the missing teeth would need to be reshaped and completely covered over with crowns, meaning that instead of just two teeth replacements she would have six!

Wasn't there something better, more conservative for Dawn?

Yes, today modern cosmetic dentist now have a better solution, permanent non-metal, porcelain on fiber reinforced resin bonded lingually retained bridges. No drilling on the front of any of her teeth, just very conservative preparation on the backs of the adjacent teeth. Here is the results that we achieved for Dawn with two bonded lingually retained bridges.

Dawn treated with two conservative lingually retained permanent bridges.

As you can imagine, Dawn was trilled with the improvement in her teeth and smile that we were able to achieve for her.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Orange County, CA

Labels: bonded lingual bridges, congenitally missing teeth, dental implants irvine, irvine porcelain veneers, san clemente cosmetic dentist

Caroline was sick and tired of her teeth and smile. Her teeth were discolored, chipped, has multiple old fillings that had stained and changed color over the years, there was spacing between her front teeth.

Caroline's smile before cosmetic dental treatment

Being embarrassed about her teeth made her less approachable and more withdrawn. She would be reluctant to show her teeth when photographed. The kicker was that one day she was holding one of her grandchildren who looked up to her and said, "Nana, why are your teeth so ugly?"

That was it for her! She already knew she could stand some improvement with her old dentistry, but she wanted to look and feel her best and have more confidence in social situations around other people.

What could she do? She came to see Dr. Huefner for a cosmetic dentistry consultation. Caroline expressed her concerns to Dr. Huefner and he in turn asked her what she really wanted? Whiter teeth? Straight teeth? Just to replace the old dentistry? Did she want to look younger and make her image more professional?

She told Dr. Huefner to suggest a treatment that he could do for her that would give her a great smile again, like she felt she had back in high school. Dr. Huefner in turn recommended doing porcelain veneers on her eight front teeth.

She would have her new teeth and smile in just a few weeks and the treatment with porcelain veneers would be much easier and less drilling than the many crowns she had on her back teeth over the years. "Non-metal, all-ceramic dentistry will give you the best looking result", Dr. Huefner told Caroline. "And, if you're ready now, we can start this week and you'll have your new smile for the holidays."

Caroline was excited and began her cosmetic treatment right away. Here is the final result that she received with cometic dentistry utilizing porcelain veneers.

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

Labels: irvine porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns mission viejo, smile makeover san juan capistrano, teeth whitening dana point

Melanie, a very successful businesswoman, does a lot of public speaking for her business. She had some old veneers on her front four teeth, bus she didn't like the way they looked. They were too dark (matching her side teeth) and using her words "were too thick and short". She wanted a whiter, brighter smile. Teeth that were more attractive and youthful were important too. And, her side teeth leaned in. Was it possible to give her a wider, more full-looking smile too?

Melanie before cosmetic dentistry

She consulted with Dr. Huefner about the possible solutions to her situation. Did she need braces to make her side teeth straighter and not lean in so much? If she redid the four old veneers and added veneers on her side teeth, could she then have whiter teeth? Actually Melanie knew just what she needed and the second question was the solution for her...redoing her four old porcelain veneers and adding new porcelain veneers on her side teeth.

She is the kind of person who doesn't take a lot of time to make a decision and once she knows what she wants, she is ready to solve her problem as soon as possible. So, after discussing her treatment with Dr. Huefner she scheduled her treatment right away. With two more visits and three weeks later, Melanie had the smile of her dreams with new porcelain veneers by Dr. Huefner.

Melanie's new smile with porcelain veneers

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

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