Rationalization of esthetic restorative dentistry based on biomimetics.

UNLABELLED: The exponential progressivism that characterizes the current decade often comes with substantial financial implications. Dental care is not spared by this phenomenon. However, new generations of concepts emerging from biomimetics provide the operator with the ability to restore the biomechanical, structural, and esthetic integrity of teeth. The development of adhesion and the evolution of porcelain veneers constitute striking examples of this nascent process. Indications for bonding porcelain are extending to more perilous situations (crown-fractured incisors, nonvital teeth), resulting in considerable improvements, comprising both the medical-biologic aspect (economy of sound tissues and maintenance of tooth vitality) and the socioeconomical context (decrease of costs compared to traditional and more invasive prosthetic treatments). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In the bonded porcelain veneer and its extensions, restorative dentistry has found new solutions for the anterior segment that balance the need for functional and esthetic reconstruction. The optimal stiffness of porcelain in thin section, the ideal surface characteristics, and the biomechanical continuum achieved through high performance bonding mean the crown of the tooth as a whole can support incisal or masticatory function. By the same token, the conduction of optical effects from within the tooth combined with the ideal surface features of the porcelain veneer make this restorative approach the ultimate in esthetic satisfaction, for both the practitioner and the patient.