Restoring Confidence With a Beautiful Smile: A Case Study With Dr. Hannah Doan
At Avalon Family Dentistry, we understand that a smile is much more than just a set of teeth.
It’s about confidence, self-esteem, and the ability to live your life without hesitation or embarrassment.
One recent case, led by Dr. Hannah Doan, beautifully illustrates how transformative dental care can be—both for appearance and emotional well-being.
The challenge: Severe bone loss and tooth extraction
In this case, the patient came to Dr. Doan feeling self-conscious about one of her front teeth.
The tooth, visibly compromised, had caused her to hide her smile for too long.
Upon examining her X-rays, Dr. Doan discovered the problem was more extensive than initially thought.
Not only was the front tooth damaged, but the adjacent tooth also showed significant bone loss. There was simply no bone left to support either tooth.
To address the situation effectively, Dr. Doan made the difficult decision to remove both teeth.
While extractions are never an easy choice, in cases of advanced bone loss, they are often the best option to prevent further complications and set the stage for long-term solutions.
Temporary solutions: The flipper
Immediately following the extraction, Dr. Doan fitted the patient with a temporary prosthetic known as a flipper.
This device, which is a type of removable partial denture, served two important purposes:
- Cosmetic coverage: The flipper filled the gap left by the missing teeth, allowing the patient to continue her daily activities without feeling self-conscious about her appearance.
- Protection: It also helped protect the sensitive gums and underlying bone structure while the patient healed.
While flippers are a great temporary solution, they are not meant to be permanent.
They look relatively natural but may lack the aesthetic precision and comfort a final restoration can provide.
As Dr. Doan remarked, the flipper looked “pretty natural” in this case, but she wasn’t completely satisfied with how the gum area appeared.
This attention to detail drives her and the team at Avalon Family Dentistry to strive for perfection in every case.
The final solution: A customized dental bridge
After the patient’s gums had healed, it was time to move forward with a permanent solution.
Dr. Doan and her team designed and crafted a dental bridge to replace the two missing teeth.
A dental bridge is a fixed prosthetic device that anchors to the adjacent teeth, providing a durable, long-lasting solution.
The bridge was created with a very special feature: pink porcelain.
This addition was crucial because the patient had lost a significant amount of gum tissue due to bone loss and the extractions.
The pink porcelain was expertly applied to the bridge to imitate the natural appearance of gums, seamlessly blending with the rest of her smile.
From a distance, no one could tell that the patient had experienced any bone loss or undergone major dental work.
As Dr. Doan said, “When she smiled from afar, they couldn’t tell. It looks like her gum up there.”
This attention to aesthetic detail made all the difference, allowing the patient to feel completely at ease with her new smile.
The patient’s perspective
For the patient, the benefits of this procedure were life-changing:
- Renewed confidence: No longer self-conscious about her smile, she can now engage fully in social and professional interactions without hesitation.
- Long-lasting results: The dental bridge provides a permanent, durable solution, ensuring she won’t need to worry about further complications for many years.
- Natural aesthetic: Adding pink porcelain makes the bridge look incredibly natural. Friends, family, and colleagues won’t even know she had dental work done unless she tells them.
Ultimately, the patient was “really happy with the result,” as Dr. Doan noted, and that happiness is the best measure of success in any cosmetic dental procedure.
Why consider a dental bridge?
For anyone considering a dental restoration, whether from trauma, decay, or bone loss, this case study highlights some key takeaways:
- Natural aesthetics: Modern dental bridges are designed to look as natural as possible, even in cases where there’s significant gum loss. Pink porcelain and other advanced materials can mimic natural gums, ensuring that no one can tell that you’ve had work done.
- Confidence boost: If you’re feeling embarrassed by a missing tooth or a compromised smile, you don’t have to live with it. Dental bridges offer a permanent, stable solution that will restore your confidence and allow you to smile freely again.
- Durable and long-lasting: Dental bridges are aesthetically pleasing and highly durable. They are designed to withstand everyday life’s normal wear and tear, providing a solution that can last for many years with proper care.
- Expert care: Dr. Doan’s meticulous attention to detail, particularly her focus on achieving a natural look with the gum area, speaks to the high level of care you can expect at Avalon Family Dentistry. If aesthetics and function are important to you, working with a skilled, compassionate dentist like Dr. Doan ensures your needs will be met.
A smile restored, a life transformed
At Avalon Family Dentistry, Dr. Hannah Doan and her team take pride in restoring not just teeth but the confidence and well-being of their patients.
Through careful planning, expert execution, and a deep commitment to patient satisfaction, this case serves as a shining example of what’s possible in modern dentistry.
Whether you’re dealing with bone loss, missing teeth, or cosmetic concerns, there’s a solution waiting for you.
Let Avalon Family Dentistry help you achieve the smile of your dreams.
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