Management of Inter-incisor Diastema in Esthetic Dentistry: Esthetic Management of Median Diastema and Tooth Space

• Published in: Dental Medicine Research Vol. 30; no. 1; p. 78
• Main Author: Atsufumi Manabe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Showa University Dental Society 31.03.2010
• ISSN: 1882-0719

Teeth whitening, placement of white fillings and changes to tooth alignment are the most common requests from patients visiting dental departments with esthetic problems. As in University Hospitals, we refer patients with teeth alignment problems to the Orthodontic Department. However, since the patients' chief complaint can be limited to the incisors, such as inter-incisor diastema and microdontia, the patients often appear hesitant to opt for time-consuming and costly orthodontic treatment involving the entire jaw. The placement of a prosthesis is an alternative approach to managing such problems, but involves cutting healthy teeth. Direct composite resin restoration is another alternative when the inter-dental space is small, but matching the tooth line and size of individual teeth is not always satisfactory. We therefore introduced a contact lens laminate veneer technique a few years ago to treat problems such as diastema without cutting the teeth. Here, we present cases of diastema treated with the contact lens laminate veneer technique, and discuss clinical protocols including adhesion techniques and follow-up results based on our observations of color reproducibility and the integration of the ceramics and hybrid composites used.