Which all-ceramic system is optimal for anterior esthetics?

Background: As ceramic materials for dentistry evolve and patients' demand for esthetic restorations increases, practitioners must keep up with the science as well as the demand. The authors offer guidance to the practitioner in selecting the appropriate all-ceramic systems for crowns when faced with different esthetic demands.

Conclusions: Clinicians should reserve dental ceramics with high translucency for clinical applications in which high-level esthetics are required and the restoration can be bonded to tooth structure.

The esthetic management of a severe isolated periodontal defect in the maxillary anterior.

A 30-plus year-old woman presented to the periodontist with a chief complaint concerning the esthetics of the black space between her maxillary right lateral and central incisors (Figure 1). The history of the problem dated back several years when her general dentist noted increased pocket depth in this area. The patient was referred to a periodontist who elected to attempt grafting in this site to improve both the bone and soft tissue.

The use of implants and ovate pontics in the esthetic zone.

This article will discuss and evaluate the potential conditions that can present in patients who require or already have had multiple anterior tooth extractions; the proper considerations for the use of ovate pontics in the treatment plan also will be discussed. While the ultimate treatment decisions must be determined on a case-by-case basis, it is important to recognize in advance the various potential outcomes to ensure that realistic decisions are made about the best treatment options for each patient. Accordingly, the four most common presentations a clinician is likely to encounter will be examined, as well as how they may be managed and the most likely compromises that might exist in the final result.

A multidisciplinary approach to esthetic dentistry.

Today's dentist does not just repair teeth to make them better for chewing. Increasingly, his or her work involves esthetics. With patients demanding more attractive teeth, dentists now must become more familiar with the formerly independent disciplines of orthodontics, periodontics, restorative dentistry, and maxillofacial surgery.

Interdisciplinary management of anterior dental esthetics.

Background: Dental esthetics has become a popular topic among all disciplines in dentistry. When a makeover is planned for the esthetic appearance of a patient's teeth, the clinician must have a logical diagnostic approach that results in the appropriate treatment plan. With some patients, the restorative dentist cannot accomplish the correction alone but may require the assistance of other dental disciplines.

The esthetic correction of anterior dental mal-alignment conventional vs. instant (restorative) orthodontics.

Creating a flow sheet may assist in the decision whether to use conventional orthodontics and what the limitations of treating the patient will be if treatment is performed without any orthodontics. The decision process can be viewed as a series of questions, and depending upon the answer to the questions, the practitioner and patient can decide on whether to involve orthodontics or not. Questions can create a framework to help separate the patients who would benefit from orthodontic intervention from those we all enjoy treating who can be managed with purely restorative care.

My growing involvement in dental study groups.

The lessons from managing a successful study club are learned over a life-time of practice, just a dentistry is. The author, who has taught numerous participation continuing education courses using the study club model and mentored many study clubs identifies these criteria for success: a respected mentor, open feedback, multiple points, of view, a clear mission and structure, and attention to the changing needs of the participants over time. A study club that has renewed itself effectively over a twenty-year period is described as a possible model.