Anterior Esthetic Prosthetic Treatment Process with a Prosthodontist at Mapo-gu Dental Clinic

Treatment Details

Hello,

This is Jihyun Park,

Chief Director and Prosthodontist at Seoul Yido Dental Clinic.

Many young patients experience

anterior tooth injuries from sports or falls.

In such cases, even after root canal or crown treatment,

unexpected changes may occur

during growth.

For example, the color of the tooth may change,

appearing black through the gum,

the injured tooth may fuse with the bone,

the tooth shape may become asymmetrical,

or the midline between the anterior teeth may widen,

resulting in diastema.

These changes, occurring during an aesthetically important period,

go beyond a simple tooth problem,

preventing patients from smiling confidently

and even affecting their personality,

causing significant issues.

In such cases, we will explain

how these problems are resolved

through clinical procedures.

Why Detailed Pre-analysis is Important

When considering anterior esthetic treatment,

detailed pre-analysis is necessary.

Teeth that experienced trauma in childhood

may not move independently during growth,

failing to settle properly.

As a result, they may not harmonize with surrounding teeth,

overlapping or misaligned, appearing as crowded or lingually inclined teeth.

This can lead to malocclusion.

Furthermore, as shown in the case photos I've prepared,

discoloration of the gum under the crown

or asymmetrical gum contours are common.

Gum discoloration is often related to metallic materials used in past prostheses

or tooth discoloration after root canal treatment.

Diastema, or gaps in the midline between anterior teeth,

occurs when the alveolar bone surrounding the tooth grows

but the tooth does not move with it due to ankylosis.

Removal of Existing Prosthesis and Re-root Canal Treatment
 

Inside old crowns,

filling materials used during past root canal treatments

can become contaminated over time.

In such cases, the existing prosthesis is removed,

the internal condition is checked,

and the contaminated areas are removed

to perform re-root canal treatment.

Traumatized teeth, as shown in the photo above,

often have more internal tooth structure damage than expected,

Retreatment requires a cautious approach.

Severely damaged teeth require internal reinforcement

for a long-term prognosis.

Fiber posts are used for this purpose,

similar to rebar used in building construction.

Just as rebar forms the skeleton of a concrete structure

to enhance its strength,

a fiber post is inserted into a weakened tooth

to act as a framework supporting the core.

Subsequently, a core is built to restore the tooth's natural shape,

and the diastema in the adjacent tooth #21 is restored using composite resin,

precisely replicating the design from the diagnostic wax-up.

Restoring Gum Contour with Temporary Crowns

Temporary crowns are not merely temporary coverings before the final prosthesis is placed;

they also play a crucial role in restoring the contour of collapsed gums.

Similar to how a support stake guides a plant to grow in a desired direction,

the shape of the temporary crown is adjusted
 

to guide the gum tissue to settle into an ideal form.

This process also helps restore the symmetry between the left and right teeth.

Once the gums are stable, a digital try-in method is used

to precisely determine the tooth's color.

The prosthesis completed through this process

will have a color and shape that harmonizes with the surrounding teeth.

The Importance of the Dental Laboratory Process

Esthetic treatment for the anterior teeth requires meticulous work not only in the clinical process

but also in the dental laboratory process.

Through diagnostic wax-ups, the anticipated post-treatment shape is designed in advance.

Based on this, temporary crowns and diastema indexes are fabricated

to ensure accurate reflection in the actual treatment phase.

Single anterior tooth retreatment may seem simple at first glance,

but as explained today at Mapo-gu Dental Clinic,

it is a complex treatment that requires detailed knowledge of tooth and gum morphology,

along with the dexterity to implement it manually.

Before/After Comparison

The outcome of anterior esthetic treatment must consider not only the shape of a single tooth
 

but also its harmony with the gum tissue and color balance with adjacent teeth.

For these reasons, when performing anterior esthetic treatment,

a variety of clinical and laboratory knowledge is required, from the diagnostic stage to the laboratory stage.

Therefore, as a prosthodontist, I am diligently accumulating such clinical experience.

Based on this, we create a provisional crown and

a diastema index

to accurately reflect them

in the actual treatment phase.

While single anterior retreatment may seem

straightforward at first glance,

as explained today by Mapo-gu Dental Clinic,

it requires detailed knowledge of tooth and gum morphology,

along with the manual dexterity

to implement this,

making it a highly complex treatment.

Before/After Treatment Comparison

The outcome of anterior aesthetic treatment

should consider not only the shape of a single tooth,

but also harmony with gum tissue and color balance with adjacent teeth.

It must be comprehensively considered.

For these reasons, when performing anterior aesthetic treatment,

from the diagnostic stage to the laboratory stage,

a variety of clinical and laboratory knowledge is required.

Therefore, as a prosthodontist,

I diligently accumulate such clinical experience.

I have dedicated myself to studying.

If a dental practice specializes in aesthetic prosthodontics,

I believe the \\'right path\\' involves

numerous efforts to support this specialization.

Moving forward, to provide the best results,

we will continue various training programs,

and present the optimal outcomes.

By showcasing these processes,

we plan to continue sharing diverse clinical knowledge

with you.

Through this information,

we hope you can gain accurate knowledge about the treatments you need.

We hope you can gain accurate knowledge about the treatments you need.

Prosthodontist at Seoul Yido Dental Clinic

This has been Director Jihyun Park.

Thank you.

2nd Floor, 24 Mallijae-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul