At Patheodent, our skilled cosmetic dentists are creating beautiful smiles every day. The value of a smile and the self-confidence it brings should never be underestimated. The concept of a smile makeover is not a new one, but the techniques and technologies that we are using to create our makeovers certainly are! Tooth whitening, ceramic veneers, ceramic crowns, orthodontic straightening as well as gingival re-contouring are the techniques we use to achieve that perfect smile. Digital Smile Design and Cerec CAD-CAM are the exciting new technologies that are leading our smile revolution. Patheodent has adopted a treatment protocol that allows us to apply all these techniques and technologies in an accurate step-wise fashion, resulting in both functional and aesthetic solutions carried out in a minimally invasive approach ensuring beautiful long-lasting smiles.
Step 1. Digital Smile Design
The first step is the DIGITAL SMILE DESIGN. Using the latest software, with just two simple photographs, we are able to evaluate your smile in detail and then design the teeth best suited for your smile, taking both shape and size into consideration. The simulation software allows us to make sure the new smile will be in harmony with the rest of your facial features, giving you a treatment proposal before you make any final decisions.
Step 2. Laboratory Wax-Up
Step two is the laboratory WAX-UP. From the digital smile design, we are able to send the dental technician accurate measurements of the new dimensions of the proposed teeth for the new smile. With this information, he is able to transform the digital picture into a tangible three-dimensional model ready for the mock-up.
Step 3. The Mock-Up
The MOCK-UP is probably the most important of all the planning steps. The wax model is copied and then transferred onto the existing teeth with a tooth coloured resin material. This gives a realistic and totally reversible version of the proposed smile directly in your mouth, allowing you to evaluate all the different aspects of the smile. Once you are happy and have given your final approval we are able to enter the final treatment stage when the resin is converted into a beautiful long-lasting ceramic material.
Step 4. The Final Treatment
Historically the FINAL TREATMENT stage would have taken two weeks. At Patheodent we are well aware of the frantic pace of modern living and so understand how valuable your time is. With our mind-boggling CEREC CAD-CAM technology, we are able to complete this final phase in just one day! The same wax-up model is scanned onto the CEREC unit creating an exact virtual copy from which the final restorations are manufactured. Working together with our in-house dental technician we are able to produce the most beautiful ceramic veneers and crowns, knowing the end product will look identical to our original planning proposal, ensuring a perfect result every time.
