Photos Are Great for Diagnosis, But Don't Get Faked Out
I rely heavily on photography to help me get to a correct diagnosis and to enable my ability to treatment plan. I like to look at a photo with lips in...
Steve Ratcliff | 10 years ago ›
I've done some dumb things over the years. I've even made an upper partial denture that didn't have room for teeth because the lower teeth had erupted...
Steve Ratcliff | 10 years ago ›
Closing black triangles is a common request among esthetically aware patients. This particular patient wanted porcelain veneers to cover the mottled...
Steve Ratcliff | 11 years ago ›
Easy Mock-Up for Esthetic Evaluation
A walk-through of how to make a simple mock-up when evaluating a dental patient for esthetic treatment.
Steve Ratcliff | 11 years ago ›
This patient is concerned about the dark line at the cervical of #11 (above). I am usually very kind to tissue when I use retraction cord and...
Steve Ratcliff | 11 years ago ›
I received this image the other day with a question about what causes the black line under veneer provisionals. There are obviously tissue issues...
Steve Ratcliff | 11 years ago ›
The stick 'bite' is a quick and easy reference for your ceramist. It's not really a bite registration; rather, it is a useful tool for...
Steve Ratcliff | 11 years ago ›
The Trouble With Gingival Position
One of the foundations of an esthetic restoration is gingival position. It is always better to have that discussion with patients before we...
Steve Ratcliff | 11 years ago ›
Four Easy Steps to Midline Inclination
Midline inclination isn't only noticed by dental professionals, anybody can notice an imperfect inclination even if it's as little as one millimeter...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
Lip Service: How to Evaluate a Crooked Smile
A person's smile is a work of art. Think about it, the lips function as the frame and the teeth are the picture. As with actual pieces of art, we look...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
This is the second of a two-part series discussing the philosophy of occlusion. Read part I, Is The Bite Right?. The crucial question of occlusion...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
This 50-year-old woman presented with hopeless teeth from the upper right central through the upper left second molar. Her one remaining molar on...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›