Dental Health Check with Dr. Linda Niessen
Dental health topics from Dr. Linda Niessen of Baylor College of Dentistry
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 Dental Bride

By Dr. Linda Niessen
Monday, July 12, 2004

STORY: DENTAL BRIDE
SCRIPT #565  SHOOT:  6/15/04
AIRDATE:  Monday, July 12, 2004
DHC Master #19 Timecode: 42:32

Healthy teeth may not always be attractive teeth. But patients who work with their dentist can achieve both. Sometimes, only slight changes can make a dramatic difference. Dr. Linda Niessen looks at one such case where picture perfect was the goal.

Most people cannot afford to pay for an expensive, extreme makeover of their smile. But many dental patients only need minor changes to see a major improvement. Tiffany Long is one of those patients.

"Every time I saw a picture of me," said Tiffany, "that's the first thing I looked at was my smile. I always noticed that one tooth and it just really bothered me."

"In Tiffany's case, she had what we commonly refer to as a peg lateral or a smaller lateral incisor that does not really fall in line with her smile line," said Tiffany's dentist, Dr. Chi Trieu.

A small lateral incisor is a common problem. Composite bonding restored the shape but had discolored.

A single porcelain veneer solved the problem. But before the veneer was bonded to her tooth, Tiffany underwent two other procedures performed by periodontist Dr. Ellen Hall.

"She was getting married and wanted to improve her smile for all her wedding photographs," said Dr. Hall. "So we did some gingival recontouring and crown lengthening."

Crown lengthening removes bone. Gingival recontouring removes gum tissue. The result can be dramatic.

"An extreme makeover for her with very minimal treatment," said Dr. Hall.

Dr. Trieu added, "We placed one single, veneer on that particular tooth in order to create a beautiful smile that Tiffany is absolutely in love with."

Tiffany said, "I knew that I was going to have lots of pictures taken. So that was really important to me."

Small changes to your teeth and gums can make a big difference, especially when you plan to capture that smile in a photograph. So consult with your dentist if you have a big event coming soon. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M System, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.

Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and  the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.

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