By: Charles Ward, DDS
This topic originally appeared on PankeyGram.org. Dr. Ward granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers.
You’ve done your digital planning, printed your models, and created a dental mockup. That’s great! But before you start prepping those teeth, we need to make sure that mockup is spot on.
Why? Because a precise mockup ensures that our preparations create enough space for the restorative material.
Digital Calipers
Here’s where the magic happens: digital calipers.
Yep, those little measuring tools are our secret weapon. We measure the distal-most tooth on each side and one in the middle. Then, we compare those measurements to the ones we took from the model. If they’re within a tenth of a millimeter, we’re good to go!
A quick tip: If you’re right-handed like me, be mindful of applying even pressure when seating the matrices. You don’t want to push harder on one side than the other.
Tooth Preparation Stage
The next step is the tooth preparation stage. When working with veneer patients, we must be very intentional while removing tooth structure from our mockup so that we can create adequate room for restorative material.
On Restorative Nation, I offered a course about selection of dental burs and more tips for veneer preparation. It’s through a thorough understanding and careful selection of burs that we can guarantee an accurate tooth preparation for successful outcomes with veneers.
From my experience, I highly recommend all dentists the Essentials Series at The Pankey Institute, which enabled me to accurately diagnose, treatment plan and deliver any restorative case with confidence
