Case report by Vasilis Vasiliou
Restoring a single maxillary central incisor is possibly the biggest challenge a dental technician can face in everyday work. Especially when a patient is young, it is extremely important to restore her or his smile to its original beauty. Any restoration that is perceivable as such might have a negative impact on their self-confidence and quality of life even in the long term.
A STORY OF JOY AND DESPERATION
Take Ioanna, a 14-year-old girl who presented in her dental office in a state of desperation. In the hours before, she had been floating on cloud nine: Her favourite band performed in Cyprus for the first time and she had managed to buy tickets for herself and her best friend. Thrilled, they had arrived at the concert, the band started playing and the crowd danced to the music. It felt like this was going to be the best day of her life. At the time the band played its most popular song, people were delirious, jumping up and down in ecstasy. Between all the exuberant dancing and laughing, however, Ioanna suddenly was hit by a strong push. She fell, her face hitting something hard – a seat in front of her. Pain froze time and it took a few seconds before she understood what had happened: Tasting blood in her mouth, she explored her teeth with her tongue and realized that one of her central incisors had fractured.
AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE
This is one of the many touching stories we listen to every day. A fall during a concert, a push at somebody’s birthday party, a car accident: There are many incidences that can ruin a young, beautiful smile. By paying attention to the involved patients and their stories, one will come to realize how strongly some of them are affected by all this. They cover their mouths when they laugh or hold back their smiles.
Any dental technician who is committed to restoring their lost smile in the best possible way is probably aware of the impact his or her work can have and the responsibility coming with it: A Beautiful result will restore not only their smile, but also their self-confidence, will let them start laughing happily, expressing themselves comfortably and simply enjoying social interaction again (Figs. 1 to 5). Compromised outcomes, on the other hand, might have the opposite effect. Being aware of this role should be every technician’s motivation to become better day by day. Evolve for these moments, when our work brings tears of joy to our patients.
Fig. 1. Layering sketch for the restoration of a fractured central incisor in three layers: Layer one.
Fig. 2. Layering sketch for the restoration of a fractured central incisor in three layers: Layer two.
Εικόνα 3. Σχέδιο στρωματοποίησης για την αποκατάσταση ενός σπασμένου κεντρικού τομέα σε τρία στρώματα: Τρίτο στρώμα. Μετά την πρώτη όπτηση, ενσωματώθηκαν μικρές λεπτομέρειες, ακολουθούμενες από μια δεύτερη όπτηση. Τέλος, η αποκατάσταση ολοκληρώθηκε με το CERABIEN™ ZR FC Paste Stain CERABIEN™ ZR FC Paste Stain και Glaze.
Fig. 4. Treatment outcome able to restore not only the smile, but also the self-confidence of the young girl.
ΒΑΣΙΛΗΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΥ
Vasilis Vasiliou was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, and graduated from the Technical School for Dental Technicians in Athens in 2004. He has furthered his education by attending several advanced seminars led by mentors and experts in the field, such as Ilias Psarris and Nondas Vlachopoulos.
Throughout his career, Vasilis has made significant contributions to the dental community, including presenting at various conferences in Greece and publishing articles in Greek dental magazines. Since 2020, he has been a key opinion leader for MPF Brush Company and, since 2022, a HASS Ambassador. Vasilis has been an active member of the International Team for Implantology (ITI) since 2019.
Together with his father, Vasilis runs a successful dental laboratory in Nicosia, specializing in all-ceramic and implant restorations. His extensive experience and commitment to excellence have established him as a respected professional in his field.
