Hollywood smile · 10 e.max veneers

Starting point

The patient wanted a whiter, more symmetrical smile. The front teeth had mild diastemas, old discolouration from composite restorations placed 8 years earlier, and natural enamel ageing. All of this is biologically normal — but the patient wanted an aesthetic change.

Treatment plan

1. DSD (Digital Smile Design) — clinical photography, digital scanning of both arches, and a 3D simulation of the outcome in software.
2. In-mouth mock-up — a composite prototype placed on the natural teeth, with no preparation, so the patient could live with the result for a week in real life.
3. Minimal preparation — 0.3–0.5 mm of enamel, only where strictly necessary. Defining principle: maximum preservation of natural enamel.
4. Intraoral digital scan — no traditional impression paste. A 3M True Definition scan sent straight to the lab.
5. e.max veneers — fabricated with CAD/CAM, individually verified during a try-in with resin gel before cementation.
6. Final cementation — dual-cure adhesive (RelyX Veneer or Variolink Esthetic), rubber-dam isolation, light cure with a 1200 mW/cm² LED unit.

Total timeline

3 visits for the patient, spread across 14 days. Visit 1: planning, photos, scan, mock-up. Visit 2 (7 days later): minimal preparation, final scan, temporary veneers. Visit 3 (7 days later): try-in and cementation.

Long-term maintenance

e.max veneers placed with an adhesive protocol have a typical lifespan of 15–25 years. The patient is advised to wear an occlusal night guard to reduce bruxism stress.