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“I always had a wide gap between my teeth, and being very active in sports as a young kid, they had been chipped and knockedaround,” Morgan explains. “Plus, certain medications I took as a child had spotted them. They looked very worn down andvery tired.” When she finally decided to check into ways of altering the appearance of her teeth, she consulted with severaldentists to see what her options were. Braces would close the gap in about two years, but would do nothing to improve thechipped or spotted areas of the teeth; however, a veneer would address both concerns.

WWhen Susan Morgan looks at her teeth in the mirror, she has only one thing to say about their

appearance: “Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!” But, that wasn’t always the case.

Susan Morgan and Dr. James Merriman review Morgan’s case, which included the use of a ceramic veneer to close the gap between her front teeth.

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Design a New SmileDesign a New Smilewith Veneers

A veneer is a covering, or shell, that fits over the tooth, and itcomes in two types: direct and indirect. Direct, or bonding,veneers are fashioned in the dentist’s office using a quartz-filledresin, while indirect veneers are manufactured in a laboratory outof a ceramic material, like porcelain, based on a model. Veneersare often used to address cosmetic issues and, in certain cases,they can provide some structural improvement. “When you’regetting a veneer, it’s typically to make the teeth look better,” saysDr. James Merriman, whose practice focuses on cosmetic andrestorative dentistry. “Veneers can alter color, size and shape,eliminate gaps or fix tooth position and proportionality issues.”

Although the other dentists that she consulted had members oftheir staff discuss the process of getting a ceramic veneer with her,Morgan was impressed with Merriman’s hands-on approach: “Dr.Merriman sat down with me personally and took it down to thevery basics of everything that was going to happen. After we met, Ihad a very, very good understanding of everything that was goingto happen and what I could expect my results to look like, and thatgave me an excellent comfort zone to go ahead and proceed.”

During their consultation, Merriman applied a small amount of thebonding directly to Morgan’s teeth so that she could see for herselfwhat the gap would look like closed.“When you put something righton their teeth and have them hold a mirror, it gives them a muchmore accurate idea of what you can do, and you don’t make falsepromises that way,” Merriman explains.

Since a ceramic veneer cannot be altered once it is made in the lab,Merriman uses a model of the patient’s teeth to design the veneer.Once he works out the details on the model, he creates a provisionalprototype of the veneer for the patient to try out so that he can makeany necessary adjustments prior to ordering the permanent ceramicpiece from the laboratory.“When you change the shape of someone’sfront teeth, it could change how they speak,” Merriman asserts.“Sometimes it’s tenths of millimeters that make a difference betweensomething that’s the wrong size to something that’s the right size.Also, they might see their mom or their sister, who might have anopinion, and I like to get all opinions out early.”

“They look natural. The workmanship on them is absolutely stun-ning,” Morgan says. “I didn’t want my teeth to come out and looklike pearls, like I’ve never eaten a thing in my life. People who’veknown me for years don’t even remember that I had the gap. Thecost was definitely worth the impact that it’s had on the way I lookat myself and the way I feel about myself.”

To learn more about designing your new smile or to schedule an appointment with Dr. James Merriman, call 770-425-0448 or visitwww.drmerriman.com. James A. Merriman, D.M.D., P.C. Cosmeticand Restorative Dentistry is located at 130 Vann Street, Suite 120,in Marietta.

Jennifer Maciejewski is an Atlanta-based freelance writer who spe-cializes in magazine features and columns. She can be reached at florascript@earthlink.net.

James A. Merriman, D.M.D., P.C.C O S M E T I C & R E S T O R AT I V E D E N T I S T R Y

130 Vann Street, Suite 210, Marietta, 770.425.0448www.drmerriman.com

SPECIALITY: Complex, multifacetedcosmetic and restorative dental proce-dures and techniques. EDUCATION:B.S. in Chemistry, University ofGeorgia; D.M.D., Medical College ofGeorgia. ACHIEVEMENTS: Sustainerof the American Academy of CosmeticDentistry, Fellow of the Academy ofGeneral Dentistry, Alumnus of ThePankey Institute of Advanced DentalEducation. PROFESSIONAL MEM-BERSHIPS: The American Academy ofCosmetic Dentistry, Academy ofGeneral Dentistry, American DentalAssociation, Georgia DentalAssociation. UNIQUE PRACTICE: Dr.Merriman’s approach to cosmetic andrestorative engineering consists of aninitial consultation to understandpatients’ needs and wants. Next, he cre-ates a digital rendering of the teeth toshow patients their new look. Finally, a3-D prototype is created by hand toensure that objectives are met beforethe procedures begin. OUT OF THEOFFICE: You will find Dr.Merriman and his wifeKerri at MariettaHigh School sport-ing events support-ing their youngestdaughter. Their oldest daughter isa junior at Vandyand their son is afreshman at Ole Miss.

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