Clinical strategies for success in proximoincisal composite restorations. Part I: Understanding color and composite selection.

The restoration of proximoincisal (Class IV) defects with direct resin-based composites requires attention to many technical and artistic details. This article is the first of a series of two articles that aim at presenting clinical strategies for optimal success when direct resin-based composites are used for the restoration of moderate or large proximoincisal defects. Concepts of natural anatomy, color as it relates to dental structures, and composite selection are discussed in this article and are illustrated with a preclinical exercise and two clinical cases in which these concepts are applied.