Dr. Whitman and her team recently treated a patient who initially came in for an emergency appointment that turned into a reconstructive case. The patient was new to the area and had broken a tooth while eating, and had a slight toothache.
The patient had not been under routine dental care due to moving and her health history, which included past cancer treatment. She had also suffered a car accident that resulted in chronic nerve pain, which was not well controlled. Therefore, she could not tolerate long appointments or get comfortable enough to lay in a dental chair.
However, the patient shared that she knew she had a lot of dental work to be done. She was concerned that the cancer treatment could have weakened her teeth and noticed she had a dry mouth from her medications.
She also stated that she felt like her teeth were crumbling and her enamel chipped away easily. Furthermore, she was nervous about dental offices due to fear of pain and a stressful environment.
Restoring the Patient’s Broken Tooth With a Root Canal
Upon initial examination, Dr. Whitman found that the patient’s broken tooth was still restorable. Dr. Whitman and her team restored it with a root canal, build-up, and a crown.
The patient had initially been nervous but stated that she felt extremely comfortable at the end of the first visit. She experienced no pain and returned soon afterward for a comprehensive visit, followed by a deep cleaning and some fillings.
With each visit, the patient became more comfortable, and the Leesburg Family & Cosmetic Dentistry team saw that her oral hygiene significantly improved. She stated that Dr. Whitman and the entire staff made her feel at ease every time she visited the office.
Dental crowns for the patient’s six front teeth.
Strengthening the Front Teeth With Esthetic Crowns
With her oral health stabilized and her nerves calmed, the patient decided she wanted restorative treatment on her front teeth so that she could bite and eat without fear of her front teeth crumbling. In past appointments with the team, she shared that she tried to hide her smile sometimes because she was dissatisfied with how her teeth looked.
Dr. Whitman built up six of her front teeth and restored them with esthetic crowns that were strong enough for the patient to bite into food without fear of them breaking. In the first appointment, the patient was here for three hours. Her teeth were prepped and impressions were taken for the crowns. The patient selected a shade that matched her natural teeth for her permanent crowns.
The patient left wearing temporary crowns made in the office and returned less than two weeks later to have the lab-fabricated crowns permanently applied. The patient was thrilled with the esthetics and could not stop smiling. She looked radiant and so much younger simply because she was smiling!