The Power of Conservative Dentistry

When Less Is More

This young patient came to us with a specific concern: a single discolored tooth from an old root canal. She wanted improvement but didn't want extensive work. Her instinct was to simply veneer the dark tooth and be done with it. Many dentists would have agreed and placed a single veneer—a quick fix that would look fine initially but create problems down the road.

We explained a different approach. A single veneer placed on a discolored tooth will never truly match the adjacent natural teeth. Over time, as her natural teeth change color from food, beverages, and normal aging, the mismatch would become increasingly obvious. What seems like the conservative choice often becomes the foundation for more extensive work later.

"Conservative dentistry isn't about doing less—it's about doing what's right."

The Proper Solution

The key was addressing the root cause: the internal discoloration from the root canal. By internally bleaching the dark tooth, we brought it back to a baseline that matched her other teeth. This is done by placing a bleaching agent inside the tooth, where the discoloration originates.

Next, we performed external bleaching of all her teeth. This accomplished two goals: it brightened her smile overall, and more importantly, it created an even, consistent color across all teeth. This even baseline is essential for ceramic matching.

The Conservative Approach

With all teeth now the same bright, even color, we placed just four veneers on the upper front teeth. Because the underlying tooth color was uniform, our ceramist could create veneers that perfectly match the natural teeth in both color and translucency. The result is seamless—you cannot tell where the veneers end and natural teeth begin.

• Internal bleaching to address root canal discoloration
• External bleaching for even color baseline
• Four veneers that perfectly blend with adjacent teeth
• Natural shape preserved and enhanced

The Result

The transformation demonstrates what conservative cosmetic dentistry can achieve. By taking the time to properly prepare—addressing the discoloration first, creating an even baseline, then carefully matching our ceramics—we achieved a result that looks completely natural. Four veneers that harmonize perfectly with her natural teeth, giving her the beautiful, bright smile she wanted without unnecessary treatment.

This case illustrates an important principle: conservative and limited cosmetic dentistry can have enormous impact when executed with the right approach. The goal isn't to do as little as possible—it's to do exactly what's needed, in the right order, for results that will look natural for years to come.

"Conservative and limited cosmetic dentistry can have a huge wow or impact."