Tooth Preservation or Aesthetics: Which is Better?
- Jeff Davies
- Nov 27, 2015
- 2 min read
Photo Courtesy of Helm | Nejad | Stanley. http://www.beverlyhillsladentist.com/blog/perfect-smile/
In a fairly recent interview by the British Dental Journal, Pascal Magne is quoted as saying that he is not a fan of the words “aesthetics” or “cosmetics”. Would you agree? Actually, it makes sense if you were to think about it. We often see those “hollywood smiles” of super white, squared off teeth, that really don't mimic anything, that are claiming to be aesthetic. Pascal states that “ those aesthetic aspects should not be the driving force of the treatment but part of its outcome, like the cherry on the cake”. The first priority should be to keep the pulp alive and respect biology. It attempting this, replicating “the natural function and mechanics of teeth with materials that reproduce the function of enamel, dentin and the dentinoenamel junction”. By following these guidelines, aesthetics naturally become part of the restoration without putting much thought into it. Composite or porcelain come in white, so take advantage of it and try to create a beautiful life-like restoration?
The advances of adhesion dentistry allows us to do some amazing things. One of which allows us to conserve precious tooth structure. Think about it, if every time we got into a tooth for a prep, to form retentive grooves or take tooth structure that isn't carious, we wouldn't be left with much of a tooth over time. Even the smallest amounts of enamel or dentin that is removed will weaken the tooth and can lead to premature fracture, endodontic treatments, and greatly reduces the strength of that tooth. Preservation is of the utmost importance. We also need to be cautious of advances in technology, such as CAD/CAM, so that it will hopefully be a tool and not reason to treat more. Pascal goes on to say that “ for the future, ‘less is more’ i.e. minimally-invasive dentistry. We will learn to think differently: think biomimetic, think bonding”.
Commenti