Treatment planning to restore a patient’s smile

Recently a patient at SpaDental Ross-on-Wye completed a treatment plan requiring a range of skills to restore her front teeth, so she’s comfortable and happy with her smile again. Our lovely patient is so pleased with the results, she agreed to share her photographs on our website, so other patients can see the difference and understand how a dentist can restore damaged teeth.

Dentist Aryaan Khalid is passionate about restorative dentistry. He is currently accepting new patients at our private SpaDental practices in Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, and Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire.

• Read more about Aryaan Khalid

“Excellent care — This was my last appointment of several and throughout the whole process I have felt really well looked after and well informed. Absolutely excellent dentist; I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.”

An initial assessment

Our patient, we’ll call her Wendy, booked an appointment because she had a prominent upper front tooth taken out during the pandemic. Wendy wanted something done to fill the gap, and she also hoped to improve the appearance of her front teeth overall. She just wasn’t quite sure what could be done, or how much it would cost.

Aryaan Khalid believes the very first step is to make his patient feel comfortable. No-one should feel embarrassed about how their teeth are – his focus in on the future.

Wendy’s examination began with a thorough assessment of her oral health. Aryaan checked her teeth for signs of caries, and looked at previous restorations to check their soundness. He probed her gums to assess periodontal health.  Wendy was only 1 on a scale of 0-5, which means just minor concerns, a bit of plaque build up and a small amount of bleeding when probed, but no problems, such as ‘pockets’. During the assessment Aryaan asks standard questions about oral hygiene routines, diet and smoking. He also screens for signs of oral cancer.

Problem solving and planning

Crowns

Aryaan believes a dentist’s work begins with listening to his patients. He enjoys offering a number of solutions to any problems, as it reduces the pressure on patients. No-one should feel obliged to agree to an expensive treatment if there are less costly solutions.

Wendy needed to have several treatments combined in her plan. First of all, Aryaan helped her make a decision about her front teeth which would guide all the treatment. Wendy’s upper right incisors already had crowns. As crowns don’t discolour as natural teeth do, they were a lighter shade than her neighbouring teeth. Moreover, her two upper left incisors and canine showed signs of wear and some damage fixed with composite. As the crowns were sound, Wendy and Aryaan decided the healthiest and most aesthetic solution was to match her other teeth to the previously crowned incisors.

Part of the planning process means considering whether a tooth can support a crown. Here Aryaan guided his patient too. A root canal would stabilise her second incisor, ensuring the crown had a healthy foundation.

A bridge

Aryaan and Wendy then looked at options to fill the space left by her tooth extraction. The usual options to replace missing teeth are:

• a partial denture, either acrylic, flexi, or cobalt chrome
• a bridge, conventional or resin-bonded
• a dental implant

Aryaan discussed the different types of dental restoration, the materials, expected longevity of the restoration, and costs. With only one missing tooth to replace, Wendy chose a minimally invasive resin-bonded bridge.

• Sometimes tooth extraction is the best option

Composite restorations

During Wendy’s initial examination, Aryaan discovered some dental decay developing in two back teeth. Treatment planning therefore included placing two tooth-coloured composite fillings, which could be completed during the time allocated for root canal therapy and crown preparation.

The final day of the treatment plan

During two further appointments, Aryaan completed the root canal therapy and composite tooth coloured fillings. He spent time prepping for the crowns and bridge, placing temporary crowns so the patient is not left without teeth.  Models and instructions are sent off to the lab where the prosthetics will be made.

Then it’s time for the final appointment.

Aryaan began by fitting the bridge, checking for seat and fit before bonding it to its neighbour. Then it was off with the three temporary crowns and on with the beautifully shaped, translucent crowns designed to fit in with Wendy’s existing crowns perfectly.

During the same visit to the practice, Wendy was scheduled for a dental hygiene appointment. Removing plaque at the margins where the tooth meets the gum, not only protects the teeth, but also ensures Wendy’s teeth sparkle. With her teeth looking so polished, Wendy was encouraged to spend extra time on interdental care and dental health to keep her crowns and bridge in tip-top condition.

Wendy left the practice delighted with her new smile.

Planning is key

Whatever the state of your teeth, a dentist really can transform your smile. There are solutions for every problem, and a range of options to suit your budget.

Your dentist is absolutely the best person to talk you through your choices.

Dentist Aryaan Khalid works across two SpaDental practices – in Ledbury and Tewkesbury. He is accepting new private patients and looks forward to helping you achieve your optimum smile.

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