"This male patient is a "clencher". Living over one hours drive away, he had been told that the only alternative he had was to have all of his teeth extracted and a set of full dentures constructed. Fortunately, one of his relatives had had her smile restored at our office and convinced him to come for a second opinion. Upon examination, we discussed the alternatives of wearing an appliance (which would only maintain his current situation) or to complete a full mouth reconstruction. Upon viewing the potential result through the use of a Diagnostic Wax-up constructed by Aurum Ceramic, he opted for the second alternative.

The first step in his treatment is to establish a proper occlusal relationship that will provide better function and esthetics. His original Shimbashi was 13 mm. With a neuromuscular approach, we ended up increasing his Shimbashi to 19 mm (therefore, opening his vertical dimension of occlusion). After a small amount of tissue recontouring, a complete set of IPS Empress crowns were created and placed over two appointments (with the exception of a IPS Empress bridge reinforced with Vectris for 13-15 to replace his missing 14). The change in his smile and his overall appearance was remarkable. This is one of my favorite cases!"

- Dr. Debra S. Reiner