Veneers and how dental mock-ups can help you decide on your new smile
Written in association with:
Dentist
Published: 22/02/2017
Edited by: Conor D
Dental mock-ups offer a real-life preview of how your new smile will look. In this article, renowned dentist Dr Luis Barbosa explains how hecan help you to decide on the right cosmetic dental procedures for you.
There are many procedures available for those who seek the perfect smile. The right one for you may be based on various factors, such as the colour, texture, size or position of your teeth.
Sometimes an explanation of the procedure can end up being too technical for the patient and they are left without a clear understanding. Before undergoing a procedure, it is important to understand what exactly it involves and that you really get the results you want.
This is where the mock-up comes in. It is a totally painless technique which normally involves a relatively short visit and does not involve modifying or sculpting patients’ teeth. It does, however, allow excellent patient-dentist communication, and allows the patients to understand the proposed treatment by showing them the anticipated results.
How is it done?
• We make a mould of the patient's mouth.
• In the laboratory we create a wax model, modifying the shape, size, texture and position of the teeth.
• We prepare a silicon model of the appearance of the new smile and we place it in the mouth using a resin-based material.
With these three steps, we create a dynamic model of the patient's new smile that is different to photographic images and digital simulations, which are useful but static.
The mock-up allows the patient to watch themselves talking and smiling with the proposed changes. That way they can familiarise themselves with these alterations and even give feedback so that they end up with the smile they want.
Furthermore, the mock-up can be easily removed during the visit as it can be removed or if the patient prefers they can continue to wear them and let us remove them after a few days, giving them a chance to show their family and friends the future results of the treatment.
Dr Luis Barbosa is a leading dentist based in Glasgow, with over 15 years of experience. If you would like to book a consultation with Dr Barbosa, you can do so today via his Top Doctors profile.