Developing form, function, and natural aesthetics with laboratory-processed composite resin--Part I.

The metallic restorative materials of the past required the dentist to focus on function and form because metal had no tooth-colored properties. The development of tooth-colored restorative materials has introduced a new element in the restorative equation--color. Unfortunately, many clinicians continue to apply a "metallic mentality" to restorative techniques with the newer adhesive restorative materials that can produce a tooth-colored appearance. With advances in material sciences and adhesive technology, the restorative concept now includes aesthetics as a variable in the restorative equation as well.