Dr Jameel Gardee explains how an innovative 3D veneer workflow helped a young patient achieve a brighter smile while preserving natural enamel, offering an alternative to a proposed treatment plan involving more than 20 crowns.
When a young patient presented to Dr Jameel Gardee for a second opinion, he had already been considering travelling overseas for a complete smile transformation. His proposed treatment plan involved more than 20 zirconia crowns across the upper and lower arches.
The patient knew exactly what he wanted aesthetically: a bright, high-impact smile with a significant change in colour and shape. The question was whether that result could be achieved while preserving significantly more of his natural tooth structure.
Rather than beginning with restorative treatment, Dr Gardee and the team took a digital-first approach.
Following a full scan and clinical photography, the case was uploaded to Avant Garde Lab and planned using the Align & Smile workflow. Combining Invisalign planning with Exocad design allowed the team to work backwards from the desired final result.
Starting with the end in mind
The patient’s existing teeth were crowded and worn, but digital planning allowed the team to demonstrate how repositioning the teeth first could completely change the restorative requirements at the end of treatment.
By visualising the proposed smile before treatment began, the patient could see that alignment could create the space and positioning required for a zero preparation restorative approach, preserving his remaining enamel while still working towards the bright, aesthetic result he wanted.
He elected to proceed with Invisalign treatment, which was completed over approximately seven months.
Once alignment was complete, the restorative phase could begin.
A trial smile was created, allowing both the patient and clinical team to assess the planned shape, proportions and overall aesthetic before moving to the definitive restorations.
From the approved design, Avant Garde Lab fabricated zero preparation Midas Sprint Tray 3D veneers in a Bleach shade. The laboratory’s CAD team digitally planned the final occlusion and aesthetic design according to the patient’s desired tooth shape, colour and overall smile goals.
The 3D veneers were bonded in a single appointment without preparation of the underlying teeth.
Six months following completion of the case, the restorations were performing well and, importantly, the patient’s natural enamel remained intact. He was delighted with the final result and with the decision to explore an alternative approach before committing to a more invasive treatment plan.
More than manufacturing
For Dr Gardee, the case demonstrates how significantly the role of the modern dental laboratory is evolving.
‘It’s great to see ortho restorative workflows now being completed in such a seamless and easy way when you work with a strong planning centre like Avant Garde Dental Laboratory.
‘Dental laboratories are no longer solely about manufacturing. They can help us plan and deliver exceptional care for our patients and, in many cases, reinvent what is possible.
‘Being able to combine orthodontics, digital planning and restorative dentistry allows us to deliver highly aesthetic, minimally invasive cases which, where clinically appropriate, may require no preparation at all.
‘For me, this is where the future becomes really exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing where this technology and ecosystem takes us next.’
In this case, Avant Garde Lab supported the workflow from the initial Invisalign treatment planning through to the trial smile and fabrication of the final 3D veneers.
It demonstrates an important principle in modern aesthetic dentistry: sometimes the biggest change in the restorative plan happens before a restoration is ever made.
Learn the workflow
For clinicians looking to incorporate this approach into their own practice, Avant Garde Dentistry’s final Align & Smile and 3D Veneers courses of 2026 take place back-to-back this November, offering clinicians the opportunity to explore both sides of the ortho restorative workflow.
Align & Smile: Friday 13 November 2026
Learn how to plan with the restorative endpoint in mind, combining digital orthodontic planning with minimally invasive restorative dentistry to create more favourable conditions for the final smile.
3D Veneers – The Workflow Experience: Saturday 14 November 2026
Take the next step into the 3D veneer workflow, exploring the digital planning and clinical processes behind minimally invasive smile transformations and a workflow designed to integrate seamlessly with Avant Garde Lab.
These are the final opportunities to attend Align & Smile and 3D Veneers in this format in 2026.
This article is sponsored by Dental Excellence.
