Mouth of the Month

What is the difference between resin veneers and porcelain veneers?

This case shows the difference between resin veneers and porcelain veneers.  This patient had resin veneers done over 10 years ago, by Dr. Mangum.  They were touched up over the years and polished.  However, they stained more easily and didn’t have the “shine” of natural teeth or porcelain.  The resin was removed, the teeth prepared, and porcelain was fabricated and bonded into place.  The results … stunning!

Advantages to resin veneers: repairable, conservation of natural tooth, less expensive.

Advantages to porcelain: more cosmetic, greater longevity, stronger, resistant to stain.

Call us today to inquire about your cosmetic dental transformation.  928-778-4110.

What is dental bonding?

This patient broke his front two teeth in grade school.  Now middle-aged he had spent all of his adult life with chipped front teeth.  The color was matched and teeth bonded with resin white filling material in less than an hour.  The material is sculpted by a dentist before it is cured with a light.  The result is a strong, durable, and esthetic.

What is the difference between a porcelain fused to metal crown and an all porcelain crown?

This beautiful patient had an old porcelain-fused-to-metal crown on her front tooth.  It was prominent and she noticed it in every photo.  A new crown was fabricated using the most current technology.  She now smiles with confidence!

A porcelain fused to metal crown was long the standard in cosmetic tooth colored full-coverage restoration.  It was fabricated by casting a thin “cap” of metal, then layering it with an opaque porcelain to block out the metal, and finally a layer of cosmetic porcelain.  Today, the most beautiful crowns are made without metal, usually pressed or milled into one piece.  The result is a more cosmetic and stronger restoration.

These dramatic before and after photos show the power of short-term orthodontics. The impressive results were achieved in 6 short months using cosmetic tooth colored braces. The patient and the team at Mangum Dental were all smiles at the treatment results.

Transformation!

This was an amazing result for an amazing patient. We achieved this attractive smile by first using short-term orthodontics to place the teeth in the correct alignment, then we followed with bridges in the posterior and veneers on the upper front teeth.  The lower teeth were whitened.  We were grateful for the opportunity to help in this transformation!

How Do I Achieve Whiter and Straighter Teeth?

Short-term orthodontics followed by whitening produced this fantastic result.  At Mangum Dental were are pleased to help patients achieve smiles they are proud to display.  Find us online at MangumDental.com.

What is an immediate denture?

An immediate denture is a dental prosthetic device that is placed in the mouth immediately after tooth removal.  Usually a patient has a number of appointments of planning with the dentist prior to tooth extraction.  This is photo actually depicts a temporary treatment partial that can be made more quickly and was also placed the day the teeth were removed.  The purpose was to allow for healing of the extraction sites and stability of the ridge prior to partial denture fabrication.  She hasn’t stopped smiling!

What if you cannot afford expensive and extensive crown work?

This patient came to Mangum Dental extremely dissatisfied with the appearance of his front teeth.  They had been worn down severely.  Porcelain crowns were recommended to rebuild the lost tooth structure.  However, he could not afford crowns at this time.  Dr. Mangum gave him another option (we believe in options at Mangum Dental).  He offered to rebuild the teeth with a resin as a temporary measure while the patient saved up enough money to replace the resin with porcelain in the future.  As you can imagine he was pleased with the result.

Mangum Dental has been serving the Prescott-area dental needs since 1978. We strive to provide exceptional patient care while rendering outstanding compassionate service.  Find us online at www.MangumDental.com.

What is difference between dental veneers and dental bonding?

The above left picture is a patient who didn’t like the rugged edge of her front two teeth.  Her teeth had become chipped and the length decreased over time. The right picture is after cosmetic dental bonding.  Bonding is more like a filling and is completed in one appointment. The bonding material is resin that is directly applied to the tooth. The advantages of bonding include the fact that it is a reversible procedure that can be repaired if chipped.  Also, bonding is less expensive and conserves more tooth structure.  In contrast, dental veneers are fabricated out of the mouth and usually created in a laboratory.  Veneers are porcelain, which are usually more cosmetic and durable.  If you have additional question, schedule an appointment by calling 928-778-4110.  Check us out on the web at www.MangumDental.com.

The top picture is a basketball player who injured his tooth during a basketball game. At Mangum Dental, we frequently treat young patients who have injured their teeth and mouth during sports. We recommend custom mouth guards for athletics and provide them to our regular patients at no cost. Ask us about our custom mouth guards.

The bottom three frames tell a story from the 2013 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Fourteenth seated Harvard won their first game against the third seat New Mexico. Their Cinderella story ended when they met Arizona in the second round. Harvard lost the game and guard Siyani Chambers lost part of his tooth.