Gangnam Station Dental Clinic: Aligning a Microdontia with Resin Veneers Without Tooth Reduction

The small front tooth next to the front teeth is the place where a small-sized tooth, called microdontia, occurs most often.

When a tooth is small, the space on both sides can look empty,

and smiling may feel less refreshing.

Some people think that you just need to make the tooth bigger,

but in reality, the position, shape,

and gum line all need to be considered for a natural result.

Recently, a man in his early 30s came to Gangnam Station Dental Clinic with a similar concern.

His main worry was, “My small tooth makes my smile look awkward.”

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In this case, the microdontia was not protruding forward;

instead, it was slightly recessed inward into the dental arch,

so simply making it bigger could have made it look even more unnatural.

A microdontia recessed inward

Gangnam Station Dental Clinic

After the examination, there were no cavities or major damage,

but the issue was the position and the gum line.

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Because the tooth was set inward,

an area that looked dark when smiling became visible,

creating an optical illusion that made the entire alignment look uneven.

Also, because the gum height was asymmetric,

restoring it as-is would have made the tooth length

look imbalanced.

Many people overlook this part during treatment.

In fact, when it comes to resin restoration, it is very important to examine the gum line

and the position of the tooth.

I’ll explain this part in a bit more detail in the planning section^^

Gum contouring plan considering the shape

Gangnam Station Dental Clinic

When treating microdontia, position is extremely important.

For a shape that sticks out toward the front,

the protruding part may need to be reduced.

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However, in cases like this patient, where the tooth is actually recessed backward,

adding gum contouring can make treatment look more natural 😊

Gangnam Station Dental Clinic

So we planned it as follows.

➡️ step 1.

Use gingivoplasty to reveal the hidden

tooth length and match the gum line.

➡️step 2.

Apply a rubber dam to completely block moisture,

and clean the tooth surface biofilm with air-flow powder scaling

to create a favorable bonding environment.

➡️ step 3.

Use resin to design the tooth as if it is slightly brought forward,

while ensuring a smooth transition from the side

and using optical illusion so it does not look oversized from the front.

➡️ step 4.

Instead of a single resin shade,

layer multiple tones to recreate the translucency

and light reflection characteristic of natural teeth.

Improved into a shape that blends well with natural teeth

Gangnam Station Dental Clinic

During treatment, I said this to the patient:

“Today is a small-tooth excavation project.

We’re bringing out the length that was hidden

and introducing it to the world.”

The patient smiled with a tense expression,

and the atmosphere quickly became more relaxed haha

After completely isolating the area with a rubber dam,

I chose the resin shade before starting treatment.

When teeth are dried, they appear much whiter than they really are,

so matching the color in that state can easily lead to failure.

That’s why it is always important to do shade matching

before treatment^^

After that, I built up the resin in layers.

It wasn’t just about filling the empty space;

I also recreated the natural shadows and gloss.

After finishing, the patient looked in the mirror and said,

“Even though the tooth didn’t get much bigger, my smile looks much more natural,”

which showed how satisfied they were.

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The space was closed, but the tooth did not look bulky,

and because the gum line was also aligned,

the bite changed into a neat dental arch.

It was even more meaningful because the result was made by only trimming the truly necessary areas

without reducing the tooth.

Treating microdontia is not simply about

making the tooth bigger.

Gangnam Station Dental Clinic

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Only by considering the position, the gums, and even the flow of light

can we create a “looks like my own tooth” level of naturalness.

I always think of it this way.

Dental treatment may seem like it adds something,

but in fact, the real skill is to touch less

and bring out more.

Going forward, I will continue to help patients preserve their teeth

so they can smile naturally and brightly^^

Thank you. This was Director Sohyunsoo.

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• 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 needed.

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