An Aesthetic and Functional Rehabilitation: A Case Study.

This article describes a multidisciplinary approach to a functional and aesthetic rehabilitation. In this case study, we successfully corrected an anterior open bite and an exaggerated curve of Spee using restorative modalities while still maintaining a highly aesthetic outcome. The maxillary anterior teeth no longer appear to have a disproportional width/length ratio and are now in harmony with the mandibular veneers. Posterior function was re-established, mostly with implant-retained crowns. Occlusal harmony and stability are maintained through cuspid guidance and anterior disclusion. Proper selection of final restorative materials is imperative for the long-term survival of the restorations.

Full Mouth Rehabilitation Determined by Anterior Tooth Position.

When patients seek cosmetic dentistry, their main concern is how their new smile is going to appear. In trying to achieve a patient's desire for a more beautiful smile, a careful and comprehensive analysis must be completed to insure the desired outcome is achievable and will function for many years to come. The clinician's primary goal is to restore the patient's dentition to ideal form and function. Full mouth rehabilitations need to be done in a systematic way to ensure all the parameters of an esthetic and functional outcome are achieved.

Esthetic Smile Design: Limited Orthodontic Therapy to Position Teeth for Minimally Invasive Veneer Preparation.

The standards of dentistry are being elevated, with a greater emphasis being placed on esthetics along with functionality. Minimally invasive dentistry has become an essential component in creating restorations that are functional and have increased longevity. In the case discussed in this article, the patient underwent 9 months of orthodontic therapy to correct her improper overbite and overjet, and the spacing of her dentition so the teeth could be positioned for future minimally invasive restorations. Orthodontic therapy was paramount in positioning the teeth so that the future restorations would have ideal axial inclinations and be as minimally invasive as possible.

Two-dimensional and 3-dimensional analysis of bone/dental implant interfaces with the use of focused ion beam and electron microscopy.

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of a dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) instrument and FIB-based transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimen preparation techniques to characterize bone/dental implant interfaces. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The FIB was used to site specifically polished cross-sections for direct FIB, SEM, and TEM imaging of bone osseointegration into a Nobel Biocare TiUnite failed dental implant (Nobel Biocare, Yorba Linda, CA). RESULTS: Bone was observed to grow into the porous structure of the coating, yielding direct evidence of a mechanical locking mechanism of the bone/implant interface. Multiple SEM images obtained from sequential FIB cross-sections were reconstructed into 3-dimensional tomograms that showed partial and full bone growth into the porous structure of the TiUnite coating. Sections thinned by FIB techniques were observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and related methods. Conventional bright field TEM showed that the coating, which was more than 2 microm thick, consisted of a nanocrystalline and porous structure. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) showed the presence within the bone of hydroxyapatite crystallites that measured approximately 7 nm. TEM images showed that the bone does not form an intimate and homogenous interface with the implant coating in all regions. X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer (XEDS) line scans that used scanning TEM (STEM) methods showed interdiffusion of Ti, P, and Ca between the bone and the coating where intimate bone/coating contact was observed, suggesting that chemical bonding also exists within this interface. CONCLUSIONS: FIB methods for SEM and TEM were used to characterize bone/implant surfaces.