Martha’s story: Lateral thinking with artful bonding

Martha’s story: Lateral thinking with artful bonding

When Martha first came for an appointment, she was uncertain what she needed and was looking for expert advice. She was troubled by a peg tooth (a tooth which fails to grow to the correct size and shape and is often in the front of the upper arch) and thought she might possibly need some orthodontic treatment as it appeared to be in the wrong position. In fact, it was the shape of the tooth that created an illusion of being in the wrong place. Having seen both Asif and our cosmetic dentist, Sandra Garcia Martin, it was clear the easiest option, and Martha’s preferred route, was a bonding treatment.

Cosmetic bonding is a popular but very skilled dental procedure in which white filling material is bonded to a tooth. The first step was to try it out to see if this was in fact what Martha wanted.

The first appointment was an instructive half hour in which Sandra created a temporary version of the bond up and applied the layers without the etch and glue that make the bonding permanent. Martha was able to decide if she liked the new look before committing to treatment.

The results were just what Martha wanted so she made an appointment to return for the real thing. Using a tiny spatula and a paintbrush, Sandra painstakingly applied layers of bonding material, that were carefully chosen to match the natural shade of Martha’s teeth, to the peg tooth. By the end of the session, Martha’s two upper laterals (the teeth that sit next to the front teeth) were matching in size, shape and colour.

Martha was happy to have her smile photographed before and after treatment, so we have a wonderful record of her treatment. Thank you Martha – and to your photographer father, Nick!

2023-03-07T15:52:26+00:00Patient Stories|
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