Justin’s Surprise: Dr Fauziah

Justin is full of energy! He walked in the clinic with a big wide smile and brimming with questions.

He had found the blog as he searched the internet for a dentist and called up for an appointment. He wanted a makeover and since there were so many, many ways to spruce up his smile, we sat down and discussed all his options.

Justin was concerned about the gap between his front teeth which was even more obvious because of his triangular shaped lateral incisors.

“The lateral incisors are what we call peg-shaped. The gaps are even more pronounced because one of them is tilted.” I told him as I drew a sketch of his upper teeth.”

“Closing the gaps will be just a little tricky, Justin, as we have to balance out the shapes of the composite veneers so your teeth will look natural … a little difficult, yes, but certainly not impossible!” I explained answering his questions.

That was exactly my main concern. Justin’s front teeth had a fairly large gap for sure … but it was the side tooth, the lateral incisor that was the difficult bit.

“I know you can do it,” Justin said, “Let’s start immediately!”

We started with a good clean-up … it’s always best to scrub up the teeth and make sure there were no calculus so we could shape the teeth so they would be easy to clean.

“I’m going to start with one side first okay … don’t worry though, you’ll leave the clinic with both sides done!” I joked as we began.

Justin was the model patient. He chatted whilst we worked and I found out he was leading a team of IT personnel.

“Have you ever done a patient with a bigger gap than this?” He asked. “Have you encountered harder cases than mine?”

I laughed before answering. “Yes, of course I have. We’ve been doing this work for several years! One of my first cases was on a university student who was dating a patient of mine. They got married and have three kids … the eldest is sitting for his SPM and is 17 years old!”

“And yes, she still has her composite veneers … and they have never needed to be repaired either.” I told him.

Of course, this doesn’t mean every composite veneer will last more than 20 years!

They could though, as proven by Nazura’s case. It all depends on which tooth is veneered, how the patient cares for their teeth and of course what they eat … after all even natural teeth can chip, what more a composite veneer!

I explained to Justin that the composite veneers are tough and withstand normal eating habits, and the usual food we eat. Eating really hard teeth may chip your teeth just like it may chip your veneers … the good news is just as easily they are done, if ever the veneers get chipped, they can be just as easily repaired.

Justin seemed satisfied with my explanation.

“The main thing to remember is that the composite veneers are like any other filling. They need the same care and respect you would give your natural teeth. Just remember to see a dentist for your usual regular check up and get a good clean up and polish.” I reminded him.

“As we created your new smile in just one sitting, Justin, you may have to get used to the different feeling.” I warned him.

“We will adjust the veneers so you can eat immediately but if over the next few days, you find the veneers a little ‘high’ … like you can’t quite chew … then you need to come in for some minor adjustments.”

“In fact this is exactly why we have the 30 day guarantee! It is mainly to encourage patients to eat naturally  … I know that most people after their makeover would be cautious when they first eat.” I smiled.

“But after a few days, and certainly after a few weeks, your eating patterns will normalize so you will immediately know if you need some minor adjustments. Our guarantee helps reassure you that we’re ready to do any repairs/ adjustments for free so all you need to do is come into the clinic!

I passed the mirror to Justin when we finished. He was very happy and satisfied with the results! Yay!!

I couldn’t close the gap in the lower left side though. I explained to Justin that the missing tooth had left too large a gap so even if I manage to close it a little, I’m wasnafraid it may break too easily.

Perhaps the next step could be a bridge to replace the missing tooth … meanwhile, enjoy your new smile Justin! 😉