Keys to restorations of functionally beautiful anterior teeth

by Scott Finlay, DDS, FAGD, FAACD

The baby boomers are coming of age. This Silver Tsunami represents the single largest demographic age group and controls over 75% of the financial assets in the United States. They are educated and want to look and feel younger. If they are healthy and if they have made it to age 65, they have a 95% chance of making it to 90. They come to our practices asking for enhancements to their smiles that are beginning to show the cumulative signs of dental deterioration, or what Dr. Dawson has taught us as the signs and symptoms of occlusal instability. They are asking for veneers, Invisalign and whitening. How can we confidently provide them with treatment solutions for their anterior teeth that deliver the comfort, health and esthetics that they are demanding?

As dentists we can be lured by the promises of material advancements with the introduction of bullet proof ceramics and adhesion products that could have been pan handled by Billy Mays. We are often receiving manufacturing hype that is unfiltered or that has not been refereed. At The Dawson Academy, we offer a continuum of learning in our core curriculum that specifically outlines the protocol that will insure predictable, durable results that offer the absolute best esthetics possible. This protocol is not left to chance. This continium of core learning builds upon itself and culminates with the hands on program Restoring Anterior Teeth (Application of the Functional Matrix). This protocol should be applied to every case, reguardless of the magnitude of treatment involved. Our core principle in the restoration of anterior teeth is based upon the simple principle that dental esthetics can only be a mirror of the relative health of the overall stomatognathic system.

Cases are managed in four purposeful stages:

4-steps

1. We begin with complete records and move through our 2D Treatment Planning outlined by the 16 steps in the Functional Esthetic Form with excellent, reproducible and consistent photography.

2. Next we evaluate the implications in 3D with accurately mounted models and begin to alter these intended changes in contour through our diagnostic wax up through our 10 steps to Functional Esthetic Excellence. This now creates our Dental Blue print, with which we can fabricate stents to take chair side to insure that our restorative design can be accomplished.

3. As we move chair side, we can now predictably reproduce the design changes that have been created in our 3D modeling. This is one of the most critical stages in the process as we now have the opportunity to prove that the prototypes that we have designed are in harmony with the functional, phonetic and esthetic parameters for that patient. We cannot move forward from this point until this has been accomplished.

4. Finally, through the use of our approved provisionals and a very specific lab communication protocol, the definitive restorations can be fabricated, evaluated intraorally, detailed and finally delivered.

By following these steps and modulating the results with the concepts The Dawson Academy presents relative to the Smile Design Matrix, dentists can provide with confidence, solutions for patients that are predictable, evidence based and durable within the parameters of responsible esthetics.