Sunday, 20 May 2012

thE DiaMond sMiLE


Working in the field wasn’t easy. The heat was excruciating, the workload was never ending and the costal wind dried up his lips. Mr. Constantine worked in the rigs along the cost of the South China Sea, his job was to make sure the operation ran smooth. Being in charge of a large number of men under a huge company was not something every individual could handle.  Mr. Constantine did, he managed the work on the field very well, but soon after realizing he had started grinding his teeth subconsciously.


The stress was high during such jobs. Mr. Constantine walked in to Diamond Cosmetic Dental, anxious doubtful and worried about his dental condition. He had learnt ways to hide his smile, an adaptive maneuver due to his teeth appearance.





After a good interview with Mr. Constantine, we came to realize that the grinding habit was not the only problem he faced. He had generalized sensitive teeth, with enamel structures that were not mature.  He also had multiple Amalgam fillings placed in his teeth, with mild crowding on his upper jaw. 


    

Multiple amalgam fillings done more than 10 years, causing the metallic silver color to creep out into the surrounding tooth tissues 
- giving it a bluish tinge. 










Gingiva were swollen and inflamed due to poor oral hygiene. There were spontaneous 
    bleeding from the gums, halitosis ( bad breath )  
    and plaque accumulation over the gingival 
    margin of the teeth.  













We had now understood what Mr. Constantine really wanted. It is important to get the patient to understand what his problem was, and why  he wants the treatment done. This is an essential aspect of MCD, to recognize the need to get the treatment done. Questions such as What is the problem, Why do you want to do the treatment, How is it done, and What do you expect at the end of the treatment is always brought in the conversation in order to achieve optimum results. 

We had suggested for a total make over of all the affected teeth in Mr. Constantine’s mouth.  A full mouth rehab programme was constructed in order to restore back his dental health status back to normal. This would require a full mouth survey on his biting habits, smile line, upper and lower lip line, facial profile and speech assessment. We tried to retain his front teeth profile as much as possible in order for him to get accustomed to his new dental environment.




The upper jaw crowns were installed first. It had made a world of difference to
Mr. Constantine. He has now the ability to smile, laugh with no restrictions and work again confidently without worrying about his upper teeth again. He was a whole new man, and walked out proudly from our center.



BEFORE  &  AFTER...