Esthetic considerations when splinting with fiber-reinforced composites.

The primary reasons for splinting and stabilizing teeth are to connect them for the purpose of replacing missing teeth or as an adjunct to periodontal therapy. Although the restorations must be planned to withstand the functional requirements of occlusion and mastication, esthetic considerations must also be taken into account. The challenge in creating an esthetic result with fiber-reinforced composite splints is that there is limited space in the connector region to create the three-dimensional effect required to give teeth the appearance of individuality. Careful planning in the diagnosis and treatment of the fiber splint is essential to allow for adequate tooth preparation to give the illusion of nonsplinted teeth. When missing teeth are replaced with a fiber-reinforced, direct, fixed partial denture, the pontic must be created to achieve an esthetically pleasing result.