ESTHETIC DENTISTRY

The esthetic component of dental care has become increasingly more important while the tooth coloured materials are continually being marketed. Although restorative dentistry has enjoyed the distinction of being a blend of art and science conservative esthetic dentistry truly emphasizes the artistic component. As Dr. Ronald E. Goldstein states ‘Esthetic dentistry is the art of dentistry in its purest form’. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines “Esthetics” as “appreciation of responsive to or zealous about the beautiful; having a sense…… of beauty or fine culture” All human desires are in some way related to beauty.The term ‘esthetics’is borrowed from the greek word ‘aesthesia’ which means sensation or sensibility. It can be defined as “belonging to the appreciation of the beautiful”. Esthete – the noun form of the same word may be used to describe a person who enjoys or perceives a pleasant sensation. Similarly the meaning of the term in adjective form indicates ability to respond to beauty in art of nature. The relation of this term to dentistry has been differentiated from the word ‘cosmetic’ which is derived from the Greek word ‘kosmos’ or adornment. It is further stated that esthetic dentistry enhances the natural beauty of the mouth and face and that the term is used specifically to imply an improved relationship rather than a superficial one. Not that long ago the available methods for repairing teeth were limited. Consequently the choices among materials and restorative techniques were generally easy and straightforward. Today’s situation has dramatically changed. The research and development has brought about numerous tooth coloured materials onto the market.Hence for every tooth the operator has to carefully consider several treatment options. Material and technique choices should be based on knowledge of material properties and the limitation of the materials and techniques. Significant improvements in tooth coloured restorative materials and adhesive techniques have resulted in numerous conservative esthetic treatment possibilities. Indirect restorations are the restoration fabricated outside the mouth. Most indirect restorations are made on a replica of the prepared tooth in a dental laboratory by a trained technician. The Indirect technique allows the production of restorations in the laboratory with appropriate proximal contours and contacts and control of anatomic form.