Study Models provide a 3-D view of your teeth and bite.  That way you can see any issues there are in your mouth that can help you in making an informed decision regarding your treatment options.

A wax-up can be done on the study model if your want to see what your veneers would look like on your own teeth.  It helps you and Dr. Heit determine if certain treatment options are possible.  For instance, if Dr. Heit recommends 4 or 6 veneers to close a big gap, a wax-up using only 4 teeth would be tried to see if it would look good.  If it does, then 4 veneers could be done to get a nice, predictable result that is conservative and less expensive.  If it didn't look good, then it would save you from redoing them because the results were not what you hoped for.

If it is hard for you to visualize whether it would look good in your mouth by just looking at the model, Dr. Heit simply makes a quick mould of the wax up and puts the teeth design right in your own mouth as a temporary, completely reversable process that allows you to have some control in determining your results before proceeding. You can even wear it home and get the opinions of all your friends and family.

The same holds true for cases that involve changing the bite to treat or prevent TMD.  A fully reversable process can find that bite first so you and Dr. Heit know and feel where the end point is before any dentistry is even started.  It makes the dentistry easy when you know where the end point is.

Dr. Heit is always open to questions regarding the procedures she does.  Some people want only a few details and others need more before making their decision.  Your job is to make sure you have all your questions answered.