Page 8 - PP Smiles

Chapter 3
COMPLEX RESTORATIONS
All of the treatments you see in these pages were completed by Dr. Maggie Chao
WHAT MAKES TREATMENT COMPLEX?
We dentists are asked by patients to “improve my smile”. I’m sure everyone can agree that it’s not always that simple or easy do this.
We first have to figure out HOW a person’s teeth got into the condition they are in today. In other words, if a patient presents with “short teeth”, how do we treat them?
What is the etiology? Is it Attrition? Abrasion? Erosion? Occlusal trauma? Perimolysis? Bruxism? A combination?
Assessing the etiology of dental conditions allows us to properly diagnose and subsequently to confidently treat patients. Complex cases include patients with severe periodontal disease, xerostomia, rampant caries, removable dentures with alveolar resorption, and especially severe wear.
If a patient is breaking restorations constantly, or seemingly has “never ending” dental work to be done, then perhaps it is time to take a step back and reevaluate the ‘why’...