Fixing a smile is one of the greatest satisfactions a dentist can have and is really one of the main reasons we have become dentists.
A recent case I did with Patient A was to place 8 Lumineers to fix her upper arch which was comprised of teeth which were badly spaced and overall poor looking.
The result was spectacular after the 8 Lumineers were placed
Now one of the key issues for patients who have their smiles fixed in such an extreme manner is the psychological preparation required. I spent a lot of time with this patient discussing the impact the Lumineers could have on her in several ways:
1. Seeing a new person in the mirror
2. Getting used to new parts of her mouth
3. Understanding her new smile
At first the patient was of the opinion I was silly mentioning this stuff as she only wanted a new smile to impress her friends. So the first hing we did was to get her a LumiSmile done by DenMat USA so she could get an idea of what the finished look would be like.
When the patient saw the LumiSmile she was even more positive that this is what she wanted to do as she was ashamed of her current smile. I explained to her that the Lumineers will feel different in her mouth and she will need some time to get used to it.
Once we were both satisfied that she was sure that this was what she wanted we then started the procedure of having the Lumineers arranged.
On the day of the placement we had another little talk prior to placing the Lumineers and the patient was adamant that she was excited and it was what she really wanted. So we placed the 8 Lumineers. The procedure took 1.5 hours from start to finish.
At the finish the patient looked in the mirror and went "WOW!" and then asked was the procedure reversable!
Immediately after the placing of the Lumineers she spoke of the unusual feeling of having Lumineers and her tongue which was used to running between the space of her two front teeth now found it blocked. By preparing the patient prior to the placing of the Lumineers we have quickly overcome the physical issues of having new material in her mouth. The patient was extremely shocked to see the Lumineers in her mouth even though we had planned and discussed this carefully.
Now the patient is happy and is enjoying her new smile and the compliments she is recieving every day.