Why should early career dental professionals learn about gum aesthetics?
Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent considers the vital role of gum aesthetics in digital smile design.
It is increasingly important to consider the appearance of the gum when treating aesthetic cases, particularly in digital smile design, according to Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, founder of the Tom Bereznicki Dental Educational Foundation.
But, he says, despite the crucial role of ‘pink aesthetics’ in aesthetic dental practice, it is a topic that is often not so well understood by early career dental professionals, mainly due to a lack of education in this area.
“In many cases, paying attention to a patient’s pink gum can be as vital as treating the shape, position and colour of their dentition. Cultivating the right balance between the tooth and periodontal tissue may be key to achieving the ‘ideal smile’ and improving your patient’s confidence.
“In days gone by, patients were happy with their appearance if they avoided dentures. These days, patients are much more discerning and restorations like the cases shown below from my archives, would now be regarded as aesthetically unacceptable.”
Dr Bereznicki considers some examples in a blog post. The upcoming Perio-Occlusion Symposium on 20 September addresses gum surgery cases similar to the cases covered in the blog.
Dr Bereznicki’s introduction to the topic will be followed by a half-day lecture delivered by Dr Reena Wadia MCGDent, a well-known specialist periodontist. Reena will examine the indications and steps of crown lengthening surgery and the optimal aesthetics we aim for. In addition, she will discuss the indications of gum recession surgery and the various procedures available.
The afternoon session will be delivered by Dr Andy Toy FCGDent, on how occlusion can affect the long-term stability of treatment using aligner therapy. For those who wish to extend their knowledge further, information will also be available on postgraduate courses which cover these topics in greater depth.
For further information, and to book your place, visit bit.ly/Perio-Occlusion