College of Dental Medicine Lasting Impressions Magazine

6 © NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Dalla Bona said. “We wanted to make sure Derek experi- enced a challenging aesthetic case before he graduated in May.” Codo said that at first, he was skeptical about having treatment done in a clinic setting at the local dental school. “I wondered if maybe I was a trial or a subject for a stu- dent project, but I quickly realized they viewed me as a patient who needed to be taken care of. They also had a caring nature.” His meeting with Stallard assured him. “Right away, he was friendly and attentive. He made me feel comfortable and confident that he could navigate any potential difficul- ties we may encounter,” Codo said. “He told me that no matter what we might come up against, he would be able to work out a solution.” GETTING STARTED The team had many hurdles to overcome before any work could begin on Codo’s smile makeover. Which material would they use to mask the dark tooth and match the other tooth? How would they accurately com- municate the correct colors, shapes, and dimensions to the laboratory technicians when face-to-face communi- cation is not possible? “This case was special,” said Stallard, who will join a private practice in Saint Cloud, Florida, after gradua- tion. “Pedro was the youngest patient I’ve dealt with, it was cosmetic, and his overall appearance was important because of his current and future ambitions.” The team had another problem to solve, because one tooth had been subject to root-canal treatment and had an existing metallic substructure. “We needed to do something that could mask the metal post in the tooth, which made the tooth look dark. We decided to work with newer, metal-free materials that would disguise that color, while still maintaining the natural transparency in the crown,” Lichtman explained. After the history, oral examination, and diagnosis—a comprehensive treatment care plan performed on every patient in the clinic before work begins—Team 8 began Codo’s treatment. They used shade tabs to make sure the Justin Hosseini,a fourth-year student,says that Team 8“cultivates a sense of unity and passion and an environment to receive the best dental education.” Left:Assistant professor and Team 8 coleader Randy H.Lichtman,with Krysten Johal,helps students design treatment plans and provide dental services in a clinical setting.