Banpo Dental Clinic: Same-Day Resin Treatment Case for a 70s Patient with Front Teeth Gaps

I told the dental clinic I was going to that my lower teeth had started to spread apart...

They said that can happen with age and told me to just leave it alone.

But I didn’t like how my front teeth looked when they were spaced apart. Even when you get older, the wish to look nice is still the same.

Last week, a woman in her 70s visited our clinic feeling this way.

Our dental clinic is located in an office district, so we see many patients in their 20s and 30s, but we also consistently have older patients in their 60s and above.

When older patients visit, rather than dismissing it as a simple sign of aging, we think from the patient’s perspective and suggest solutions.

In particular, front teeth can spread apart due to periodontitis, and the lower front teeth can drift forward, causing the teeth to become crooked.

This patient had a significant gap between the lower front teeth.

A way to solve it 'without shaving' Banpo Dental Clinic

"To be honest, I don’t mind much else, but I really hate having my teeth shaved."

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As soon as she sat in the treatment room, the patient said that firmly. Actually, that one sentence contains a lot.

A sense of regret about natural teeth, uneasiness from past treatment experiences, and concerns about the options that gradually decrease with age.

So I answered right away.

You can make them look beautiful and healthy without shaving the teeth.

I prioritize preservation above all else. Banpo Dental Clinic

Just because the front teeth have gaps does not mean placing crowns is the answer.

If the gums and tooth roots are in good condition, it is wiser to leave the natural teeth as they are whenever possible and approach the problem by "supplementing" them.

A design for 'saving the teeth and making them look natural' Banpo Dental Clinic

First, we checked the condition through intraoral photos and a periodontal examination.

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Fortunately, the teeth themselves were strong for her age, and only the previously applied resin needed to be removed slightly.

However, because the space between the front teeth was quite wide, just filling one side or simply closing the gap could have looked unnatural.

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So the key points of the treatment plan were two things. Banpo Dental Clinic

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① Adjusting the midline Even if it may seem minor to the eye, if the center line is off, the overall impression looks awkward.

For a natural appearance, the position, thickness, and angle of the resin all need to be adjusted.

② Correcting the size illusion If all the space is filled, the teeth may look bulky or disconnected from the neighboring teeth.

So from the side, the space was closed, but from the front, it was designed to look like the original tooth size.

This really feels close to 'fine sculpture' haha.

I explained all of this carefully to the patient, and she laughed and said, "Doctor, listening to this makes it sound almost like art~" (At this point, we start getting excited 😄)

Teeth were not shaved, and resin was built up one layer at a time Banpo Dental Clinic

The treatment began after placing a rubber dam and creating a perfectly dry environment with no moisture at all.

Resin is a sensitive material, so even a tiny bit of saliva or moisture can reduce adhesion. First, we performed the pretreatment for bonding, then applied thin layers of resin with great precision.

Rather than applying a thick layer all at once, we built it up in thin layers, curing and refining each one with light... it really felt like creating each tooth strand by strand.

What mattered in the process was that the tooth and resin had to connect naturally. Banpo Dental Clinic

If the boundary is visible or it feels unnatural to the touch, that is a failure. So we also adjusted the gloss and texture, carefully making sure nothing stood out inside the mouth.

And after all of that, it had to be comfortable not only when the mouth is closed like a model, but also when smiling, speaking, and breathing. So we checked the bite one point at a time.

*Why it’s important to get resin treatment done properly from the start! (Must read haha)

For a senior’s smile, design is also necessary. Banpo Dental Clinic

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After finishing the treatment, I showed her the mirror, and she looked surprised.

Is this really my tooth? It looks so natural and pretty. I should have come sooner. Banpo Dental Clinic

She was smiling, and her eyes looked a little moist. Perhaps it was not so much because of the teeth, but because it had been a long time since she had looked at herself with such satisfaction.

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Her husband, who had been waiting outside the treatment room, looked at it briefly and quietly nodded.

In fact, that one nod often says everything. (I know well, as someone’s husband too haha)

At this age, you can just leave it as it is~ Banpo Dental Clinic

Of course, that may be true. But I would like to ask this:

"Are you really fine and just leaving it alone? Or have you given up because you were told there was no other way?"

If, like this patient, the teeth are in good condition and the gums remain healthy, it is fully possible to improve aesthetics naturally and healthily without shaving.

Rather than looking in the mirror every day and worrying about that small gap, it is much better to design it properly once and use it healthily for a long time^^

Going forward, we will continue to provide treatment that ✔ interferes less with the teeth ✔ helps them last longer ✔ allows patients to like their own smile in the mirror

Even if you are older, a smile shines more brightly when you smile. We can help.

This was Director Sohyun-su. Thank you.

• Depending on the individual, symptoms such as sensitivity, a foreign-body sensation, or bite discomfort may appear temporarily, and in rare cases additional treatment may be necessary.

Treatment period: 250710 - 250710