The Problem: Old fillings can lead to a number of problems. They can make your teeth dark. Your teeth often develop fractures and become weak. However, simply replacing old fillings with new ones does little to strengthen a tooth weakened by stress fractures. I have seen too many of those teeth end up with large areas breaking away, in need of root canal treatment, or even split and be lost because the stress crack kept growing. Like a cracked windshield, the big fracture often occurs unexpectedly, suddenly, and at an inconvenient time. Those tragedies can almost always be avoided with appropriate and timely intervention.

After porcelain onlays:

The Solution: Porcelain onlays have become a premier choice for restoring back teeth. They are the best in many situations for several reasons. They look amazingly real. More than 95% of our patients look in the mirror and say “WOW! That looks so real!” And they do. Porcelain onlays make the tooth stronger again and we leave a lot of the natural tooth. They offer beauty, strength, and preservation at the same time. Like most of today’s dentistry, onlays can be fantastic if your dentist pays attention to the details and has some artistic finesse. At Donaldson & Guenther we are guilty of trying. We work hard to exceed your expectations and consistently provide world class dentistry.

Before porcelain onlays:

The Problem: The patient no longer liked the old bonding on her front teeth. It was yellowed and worn. Her center teeth were too short and the sizes were out of proportion. This made her smile look worn and slightly up-side-down.

The Solution: Donaldson & Guenther created a more youthful and healthier smile with porcelain cosmetic veneers. The patient’s center teeth are now larger and longer. Her side teeth are prettier by being a little smaller and delicate in shape. The patient is thrilled with the results.

Before porcelain veneers:

After porcelain veneers:

The Problem: This wonderful young lady and her family wanted a fuller, more beautiful smile. As a graduation present, her grandmother paid for her to come to Donaldson & Guenther to get it. When she came to us, she had spaces between her teeth; also, the center left tooth had been fractured and bonded previously.

The Solution: It is very important to develop good proportions when closing spaces and not just fill the gaps. The two front teeth should be prominent and the side teeth smaller with a slight angle. Most “cosmetic” dentistry I (Dr. D) see looks too plump and without natural inclinations. The porcelain veneers we did here compliment the patient’s fresh youthful beauty. Click on the photo of her face to see her smile more closely.

Before porcelain veneers:

After porcelain veneers: