Considerations for planning esthetic treatment with veneers involving no or minimal preparation.

BACKGROUND: Recently, some manufacturers, dental laboratories and practitioners have been marketing their "no-preparation" porcelain veneer systems as ones that will achieve results the same as or better than those seen with traditional veneers accomplished with tooth reduction. This case report describes case selection and esthetic treatment planning considerations for veneers involving no or minimal preparation. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 30-year-old woman with erosion on the facial surfaces of her maxillary teeth sought treatment for esthetic improvement of her smile. The author evaluated the patient's goals, midline position and cant, lip position and fullness, color, incisal edge position, desired tooth contours and occlusion. Once the author determined the ideal final position of the teeth and compared it with their current position, he decided that the patient was a perfect candidate for no-preparation veneers. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: To optimize the outcome, dentists should perform a complete esthetic examination before selecting and planning treatment for patients receiving porcelain veneers involving no or minimal preparation.