Esthetics and function: a return to the basic concepts: case report

ABSTRACT Immediate esthetic rehabilitation is a common practice in contemporary restorative dentistry. Sometimes without a precise diagnosis and clinical planning, two or three clinical sessions have been sufficient to start and end an extensive all-ceramic oral rehabilitation. It is essential, however, for these treatments to be based on the biological, mechanical, and occlusal principles that have been established for decades, and not only on aesthetic considerations. In this case report, a 26 year-old bruxist patient with functional and aesthetic needs, was rehabilitated with ceramic restorations in the six maxillary anterior teeth, through an interdisciplinary approach. The diagnostic wax-up was essential to predict the outcome; guide the periodontal surgery; serve as a reference for dental preparations, and restore the dynamics of jaw movements. After the adhesive cementation, a protective occlusal splint for use during sleep was introduced. The authors concluded that careful diagnosis and planning was critical to outcome of this case, and that the quality and longevity of restorative treatment depended on the respect for biomechanical, occlusal, and aesthetic concepts.