Nijah and her twin sister came to our office for help with their teeth. They have a genetic disorder called amelogenesis imperfecta. It is a disorder that affects tooth structure and development. It affects the size and appearance, as well as the enamel, causing teeth to be small, discolored, pitted, grooved, and prone to breakage due to rapid wear. In the twins' case, their teeth were small and discolored, and they were having difficulty in school with bullying.
Porcelain crowns are used in most cases to give a normal appearance and function to patients with this disorder. Because of their age, the girls were not yet candidates for crowns to be made to correct the problem. Dr. Khazaie made an over-denture for them to have normal looking teeth, with proper shape and color. They will have permanent dental crowns made when they are older.