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cosmetic dentistry_ beauty & science

34 I I industry report _ minimal invasive treatment Fig. 1_The 30-year-old patient was dissatisfied with the appearance of his smile. Fig. 2_The gaps in the front row of teeth and the unusual shape of the upper lateral incisors bothered the patient. Fig. 3_A panoramic scanning dental X-ray revealed that teeth #12 and 22 had failed to develop. cosmeticdentistry 1_2012 _With the availability of a wide range of inno- vative restorative materials, the aesthetic demands of patients can be met efficiently and effectively by thecollaborativeeffortsofpractiseddentalteams.As the technology behind these materials has become increasingly sophisticated, clinical cases that were considered to be challenging previously can now be treatedwithouthavingtocompromiseonaesthetics or remove healthy dental tissue. We describe our ap- proachtocasessuchastheseinthefollowingarticle. Flawlessteethareassociatedwithgoodhealthand vitality. A bright smile radiates self-confidence and heightens a person’s attractiveness. State-of-the-art aesthetic dentistry can achieve small wonders in this respect.Theshapeandcolourofteeth,aswellastheir length and position, can be adjusted. Nevertheless, in all these treatments, preservation of healthy tooth structure is paramount. For this purpose, procedures have to be planned in detail by the dental team, con- sistingofthedentistanddentallaboratorytechnician. _An uncommon preoperative situation The 30-year-old patient was dissatisfied with his smile and requested that we correct his front teeth (Fig. 1). The problem was evident at speaking dis- tancefromthepatient.Theoverallappearanceofthe dentition was marred by gaps between the teeth (diastema)andtheunusualshapeoftheupperlateral incisors (Fig. 2). A panoramic scanning dental X-ray revealed the failed development of teeth #12 and 22 (Fig.3).Asaresult,thecanineshadmovedintothepo- sition of the lateral incisors. In the past, the appear- ance of both canines had been slightly adjusted to that of the incisors. Moreover, it is important to note thatthedentalarchfeaturedtwodeciduouscanines. _What patients want The patient let us know exactly what he wanted and did not want. Today’s patients are usually knowledgeable and well informed. They clearly ex- presstheirideasanddemandtailor-madesolutions. Thisparticularpatienthadbeensearchingforasuit- able and non-invasive treatment for quite a long time. Previous treatment plans had incorporated the removal of the two deciduous teeth and replac- ing them with implants. However, the patient did not agree with this solution. He wanted to keep his natural teeth until they fell out of their own accord, eventhoughthelifespanoftheseteethwaslimited. Untilthistime,however,thepatientwantedtohave a gap-free and even-looking anterior dentition, in other words, an attractive smile. We were unable to predict the survival rate of the deciduous teeth on the basis of the X-rays. Nevertheless, a thorough examination showed that they were still securely in place. Furthermore, there were no signs of peri- odontal disease. The patient was fully aware of the limitedlifespanofthedeciduousteethandaskedfor a reversible solution in order to prevent the existing tooth structure from being permanently damaged. He wanted to make sure that further treatment in Shining results Minimally invasive and aesthetic restorative treatment Authors_Dr Monica Basile & Michele Temperani, Italy Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3