Malformed Teeth, Peg Laterals, and More: Front-Tooth Veneer, Bridge, and All-Ceramic Crown Treatment

Hello, I'm Park Jonguk, director of Dream Dental Clinic.

Due to abnormal shape or malformation of the front teeth,

there are cases that require reshaping the teeth.

Tooth shape abnormalities show up in various forms.

The most common is a peg lateral (undersized tooth).

This is when a tooth is much smaller than its normal size.

There are also fused teeth, dens invaginatus, dens evaginatus, macrodontia, and more,

various abnormalities of shape or color,

and when a tooth like this appears among the front teeth,

veneer or all-ceramic crown treatment is needed.

In general, ceramic tooth reshaping

is usually done after growth has stopped,

but even in adolescents,

if the aesthetic issue is causing severe stress,

treatment is possible.

As an alternative to ceramic,

treatment with resin is also an option,

but it's hard to match the tooth color perfectly,

and it tends to discolor frequently over time,

so veneers or all-ceramic crowns made of ceramic

can be considered a more aesthetic and lasting method.

Treatment like this requires analysis from many angles.

We look for a way to minimize tooth reduction,

make sure there's no impact on gum health,

and ensure the treatment is durable and long-lasting.

From peg laterals and malformed teeth to congenitally missing teeth,

there are aesthetic problems arising from a variety of issues.

This patient had both a peg lateral and a malformed tooth among her front teeth,

and since some teeth were small and one was missing,

there were spaces between the teeth.

The canine was positioned further forward

than where it should normally be,

and next to it, a baby canine tooth still remained.

As the tooth dentists call the lateral incisor was missing,

the canine had moved up into that position,

leaving the baby tooth that should have fallen out still in place.

Since the shape of the front teeth wasn't normal either,

we had to resolve this whole set of issues

through a combination of veneers and all-ceramic crowns.

We carried out a range of analyses on the teeth.

On how to address the missing tooth,

we had to consider several options.

We weighed the choice between an implant and a bridge.

An implant places an artificial tooth root into the space where a tooth is missing,

while a bridge crowns the teeth on either side of the missing-tooth space

with all-ceramic crowns

and connects them like a bridge, filling the gap in between.

In most cases, an implant has

more advantages than a bridge,

but for front teeth, since aesthetics matters most,

unless the aesthetic conditions are favorable,

an implant can't necessarily be called the better option.

In particular, in a case like this one, where a baby tooth needs to be extracted

and the tooth in front of it needs reshaping,

a bridge can also be a good choice.

After analyzing everything, including the amount of tooth reduction needed,

we explained the various combinations of treatment to the patient,

including veneers, all-ceramic crowns, bridges, and implants,

along with the cost and pros and cons of each,

before deciding on a treatment method.

We decided to proceed with treatment using veneers and a bridge.

This gave the most aesthetic result, the shortest treatment time,

and was also the most favorable option in terms of cost.

The tooth reduction for the veneers and bridge was completed.

We made temporary teeth to check the shape once more.

What mattered most in this treatment was:

1. Reshaping the large canine into the form of a lateral incisor, and since a baby tooth remained,

reshaping the cramped canine into a normal size.

2. Resolving the asymmetry of the front teeth

3. Restoring a normal shape and color to the malformed tooth

4. Restoring the proportions of all the teeth to a normal range

5. Ensuring all of this treatment preserves gum health.

These conditions aren't achieved all at once.

We have to use temporary teeth to gradually adjust harmony with the gums, the spacing, and the proportions.

This is the state with the temporary teeth in place.

We need to confirm the gums adapt well while in this temporary state.

The treatment is complete.

It looks remarkably natural.

In particular, you can see the harmony with the gums is outstanding.

The gum at the spot that once had a gap between the teeth blends beautifully and healthily with the veneer.

Looking at the shape of each individual tooth,

you can feel a natural sense of dimensionality.

The tooth color and translucency are bright yet well harmonized.

In cases where matching the proportions is difficult during veneer treatment,

an awkward look is often noticeable when viewed from the side like this,

but here, no awkwardness is felt at all.

The large canine was efficiently reduced in appearance,

and in the space that had been cramped because of the baby tooth,

a normal-sized canine is beautifully expressed through the bridge.

This is how the teeth were transformed.

The canine became a lateral incisor, and a canine now fills the empty space.

You can see the teeth were completely reshaped through veneers and a bridge.

Natural beauty

Since 2006, Dream Dental Clinic