Holly hated her short spaced discolored teeth

First, Dr. Huefner needed to clarify just exactly what kind of smile Holly wanted?  If it was just the color of her teeth bleaching (teeth whitening) would probably render a huge improvement.  However, after speaking with Holly for some lengths, she expressed that it wasn’t just the dark color of her teeth, it was also the shape and length of her teeth.  There were spaces and her teeth appeared so small that they were hardly visible when she smiled.

After a careful evaluation, Dr. Huefner suggested that he place eight porcelain veneers on Holly’s upper front teeth.  By utilizing porcelain veneers Dr. Huefner could control the color, shape, size and position of her “new teeth”, promising her an absolutely huge improvement in her smile!  After discussing the treatment with her husband, and giving it careful consideration, Holly returned to Dr. Huefner to have the porcelain veneer treatment that he recommended.

Holly's new smile with eight porcelain veneers by Dr. Huefner

Holly now has a gorgeous smile and isn't embarrassed to smile in photos any more!

Holly’s treatment was completed in two appointments a couple weeks apart. This kind of treatment is very satisfying for a cosmetic dental office like Dr. Huefner’s because smile makeovers like this change people’s lives!  Holly would be among the many who would testify to that.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Rus didn't like the color, shape and general appearance of his teeth and smile

After Dr. Huefner placed porcelain veneers for Rus, he had the professional looking smile that he had always wanted!

Rus loved his new smile with porcelain veneers

It is extremely important that the patients become very involved in the color selection to be very satisfied with the ultimate results. In our cosmetic practice we will make suggestions as to what color porcelain veneers will look best in our opinion, but it is the patients who have the final decision! By the way, cosmetic treatment like this patient had only take a few appointments and is much easier than one would ever possibly imagine.
Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Paul's teeth were so yellow that he was very embarrassed to smile

Dr. Huefner recommended porcelain veneers for Paul, as not only could his teeth be made a lot whiter (as he had always wanted them to be), but they would be straight and even. Also, the porcelain veneers on the side teeth could be made so at the same time they would replace the mercury amalgam fillings giving him two benefits….better looking teeth and also stronger.

After Dr. Huefner made porcelain veneers for Paul, he had the great looking smile with white teeth that he had always wanted

Paul’s smile makeover with porcelain veneers was done in just a few visits, beginning to end just three weeks.  He was very pleased with the end result, no more yellow teeth and a great and younger looking smile!
Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Peggy's smile after orthodontic treatment

Peggy decided to have cosmetic dentistry to improve her smile.  Porcelain veneers were done by Dr. Huefner on her eight front teeth.

Peggy's smile after porcelain veneers by Dr. Huefner

Below are the portrait photos that Dr. Huefner took of Peggy as she shows off her new smile.  As you can tell by the way she is smiling, Peggy loves the porcelain veneers and the way her new smile looks!

Peggy is now very happy with her beautiful new smile!

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

It is interesting, as the shape of the upper front six teeth each play a different role in this regard. The front two teeth, called the central incisors, have the role of indicating age. The teeth next to the central incisors, the second tooth on each side from the front teeth are called the lateral incisors. They are the teeth that impart gender to the smile design. The next tooth back from the lateral incisors, the “eye teeth” or canine teeth, impart personality. I will explain how each of these teeth perform their respective roles.

First, the central incisors, which are the most obvious teeth to be seen (or sometimes “not seen”). In a young person they appear rectangular, with rounded corners, and are usually 10mm to 12mm in length (average length of an unworn central incisor is 11.5mm). However, with age and wear these teeth shorten, sometimes as much as 1-5mm by the time one gets to middle or late age. Along with shortening, they become more square in shape and with that also comes square corners rather than the normal rounds corners of younger teeth. Thus, for someone who is concerned with their appearance and their age, changing the length and shape of the central incisors porcelain veneers can give one a much younger looking smile. Also, teeth in general usually darken with age, so to compliment this we almost always make the porcelain veneers lighter in color, depending on the wishes of the patient.

Next, varying the shape of the lateral incisors porcelain veneers can make a smile look more feminine or more masculine. Thus for women, we shape the lateral incisors porcelain veneers to be more rounded at the end, and also slightly shorter than the central incisors. We call this a “gull wing” silhouette.

Jill's feminine smile by Dr. Huefner

For men, we lengthen the lateral incisors porcelain veneers to be almost the same length as the central incisors and make them more square in shape, which makes their teeth look more masculine.

Masculine smile by Dr. Huefner

But the most interesting is the choice in shape of the canine teeth, as these are the teeth that most imparts “personality” to the smile design. Cuspids that are pointy, more prominent, and longer than their adjacent teeth impart a more “aggressive” smile. This is used most often when a patient wants to appear “more powerful” with their new smile. The opposite can be created by flattening or rounding the tip of the cuspids and making them less prominent, giving the patient a more “passive” appearance. This design would be used most often with a large person or one with many dominant features who wants to soften their appearance with their porcelain veneers. But, most patients prefer that we create for them a more normal cuspid, not leaning to either the “aggressive” or “passive” smile design.

There is no “right” or “wrong” smile design, but what is most important that the cosmetic dentist discuss smile design options with the patient and that the patient have some input as to their preferences. Sometimes these are subtle differences with regard to shape, length and color of their new porcelain veneers and other times the differences can make a dramatic difference.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

So, she went back to her general dentist and asked him to redo the four front veneers, which he agreed to do for her.  The four porcelain veneers were drilled off and new impressions made and four new porcelain veneers were made by his ceramist with specific instructions that this time they “not be made too thick”.

Two weeks later, when the remade porcelain veneers had come back from the lab her dentist tried them in, gave Martha a mirror look at them and give her approval so that he could then permanently cement the porcelain veneers.  However, Martha still didn’t like them and would not accept them.  By then she had lost all trust and confidence in her dentist and left the office without the new veneers.

She came to Dr. Huefner and asked him to place four porcelain veneers for her.

Martha didn't like the veneers done by previous dentist, had him take them off and came to Dr. Huefner to have them redone

Dr. Huefner spent considerable time listening to Martha explain what she had not liked about the two sets of porcelain veneers that had previously been made for her. What Dr. Huefner said he would do would be to first make temporary veneers for Martha, getting her approval on the length, shape, color and thickness.  If she wanted any changes done it could be easily be accomplished by adjusting the temporary veneers.  Then, after Dr. Huefner had Martha’s full approval of the temporary veneers and their design and shape, he would have his ceramist duplicate the design.  Thus, Dr. Huefner’s temporary veneers, which he could change or modify as necessary, would serve as a template or “blue print” of the design for the ceramist.  Dr. Huefner calls this his “trial smile“, or “test drive” of the final veneers that he will be placing.

Martha's four new porcelain veneers done by Dr. Huefner

Above is a photo of Martha with her new porcelain veneers placed by Dr. Huefner.  Martha was very pleased with the color, length, and shape of her new veneers, and especially the fact that they weren’t “too thick or fake looking”.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Philip didn't like his teeth and the way it made his smile look

His teeth were chipped and his right front tooth had a huge filling on the edge. He didn’t like the color and that his side teeth (bicuspids) leaned inwards. This gave him the appearance of two big teeth and the rest small teeth. But Philip wanted a wider, more masculine smile that he could be proud of.
The treatment of choice for Philip was porcelain veneers on his upper eight teeth. When he learned that his smile could be completed in just several weeks he was excited to get started on his treatment right away. Dr. Huefner took impressions of his teeth to plan a smile design that he felt would make Philip look his best. More squarish front teeth look more masculine on most men, and that is what Dr. Huefner had planned for Philip. After designing the porcelain veneer shape, length and position on the model, Dr. Huefner transferred the design onto Philip’s teeth, called the “trial smile”. This was Philip’s “test drive” to make sure he liked the design before Dr. Huefner gave his final directions to the ceramist.

Philip's "trial smile" to "test drive" the appearance of his teeth

Philip wore the trial smile for several days before approving of everything and choosing the final color. Some slight modifications were done as per Philip’s request. Dr. Huefner then gave the final directions to his ceramist, the porcelain veneers were fabricated and two weeks later the final porcelain veneers were bonded onto Philip’s teeth.

Philip's new smile with porcelain veners by Dr. Huefner

As you can imagine, Philip was extremely pleased with his new smile. He especially loved the color and “naturalness” of his porcelain veneers.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Unfortunately, most general dentists would just prepare the teeth, take the impression and the ceramist (who may have never seen the patient) made the veneers as they saw fit. The dentist would choose a shade and sometimes give the ceramist the length to make the front teeth, but most of the design was usually left up to the ceramist. The dentists would often hope and pray that “somehow” the ceramist would “guess” correctly the design that they patient would like. Unfortunately, this technique had a lot to be desired and many patients and dentists were disappointed with the final results.

However, today most skilled cosmetic dentists who have gone through advanced training in cosmetic dentistry and porcelain veneering utilize a very sophisticated approach to their “smile design”. This involves the patient and actually gives the patients an opportunity to “test drive” their new smile.

Test drive? Yes, the patient can wear specially made temporary veneers called the “trial smile” to make sure that they like the shape, color, length and overall design of their temporary veneers. After wearing the “trial smile” for a few days the patient returns to the cosmetic dentist and together they discuss the design and any changes that the patient might want. The dentist will ask the patient about the color, the length and shape of the veneers, general design, their bite and speech with the new veneers. Also, very important, the dentist can evaluate the symmetry of the new veneers and how it relates to the patient’s face, lips and smile.

Jill with her "trial smile"

This is Jill with her “trial smile”. We asked her to evaluate the color, length and shape of the teeth, and we particularly wanted the edges of her upper teeth to follow her “smile line” (the curve of her lower lip) when she smiled. If there are any changes desired by either the dentist or the patient, they can often be made to the “trial smile“. The trial veneers can be lengthened or shortened, and the shape of the teeth can be changed as well. Also, and this happens quite frequently, many times patients change their mind as to the desired shade or color of their veneers, most often wanting them a bit “whiter” then they had originally requested. If this is the case it is much better to learn the patient’s wishes in the trial smile stage, so that the final veneers will be the color that the patient wants and will be happiest with.

After the “trial smile” smile design is finalized, the dentist will make final measurements of the lengths of the approved veneers, final shade determination, new photos and models to document the patient’s wishes. All this information is sent to the ceramist, who now has a detailed “blueprint” of the patient’s approved design. The ceramist then can proceed with confidence to create beautiful porcelain veneers that the patient will love!

Then, the patient wears the “trial smile” for a couple of weeks while the ceramist creates the veneers. This is a transition time, and most patients happily look much better with their “trial smile” than they did with their natural teeth. When the veneers are finally ready, the temporary veneers (the “trial smile“) are removed that the new porcelain veneers are placed for the patient to preview. The patient can evaluate the veneers in different lighting situations (incandescent, fluorescent, natural sunlight). After the patient accepts the porcelain veneers for final cementation and gives the dentist permission, the porcelain veneers are bonded (cemented) onto the teeth, finalizing the new smile! If there is something that needs to be corrected (which rarely happens when cosmetic dentists follow this protocol), the dentist can make those changes before bonding the veneers. What is so nice is that this technique of utilizing the “trial smile” and involving the patient in the design process is that it renders a very predictable approach to smile makeovers and porcelain veneers with a very high rate of success and happily satisfied patients!

Jill's final porcelain veneers by Dr. Huefner

This is Jill with her beautiful new smile and final porcelain veneers by Dr. Huefner.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Tracy Kemble was the featured patient, having 20 porcelain veneers placed by Dr. Huefner and ceramics done by master ceramist Dave Stohlman from MAC Labs (Microdental Advanced Ceramics).

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Paulette had chipped, worn and discolored teeth and wanted a beautiful smile

After consulting with four other dentists Paulette made an appointment with Dr. Huefner to discuss the methods and techniques that he would recommend to recreate a beautiful, youthful new smile for her.  Two dentists had recommended braces (orthodontics), then “capping” (placing full crowns).  One had recommended bleaching and then replacing her discolored fillings.  The third dentist had recommended porcelain veneers, a concept that Paulette liked.  However although she like his approach the best, she felt a little uneasy about his ability.

When she came to consult with Dr. Huefner, he confirmed that in his opinion porcelain veneers was the best way to give Paulette the kind of smile she wanted.  Then Dr. Huefner showed Paulette her a number of photos of other patients he had treated over the years and the results he had achieved for them.  This gave Paulette the confidence she was looking for and proceeded with her treatment of eight porcelain veneers by Dr. Huefner.

After Dr. Huefner placed eight porcelain veneers Paulette had the "perfect smile" that she had always wanted

Paulette loved the end results that her porcelain veneers gave her, saying “This is fantastic!”  The color was exactly what she had wanted, whiter, but still natural looking.  All of her teeth were even, now more tooth crowding or tipping.  The shape of the teeth was very youthful and “life like“, giving Paulette all the confidence she needed to smile anytime she wanted.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA