Restoration of a fractured central incisor using original tooth fragment.

A most conservative restorative treatment involving the use of the acid-etch technique and composite resin systems to re-attach the fractured incisal edge of a maxillary central incisor in a 14-year-old boy has been described. As this is a highly conservative treatment, other treatment options still remain open. Esthetic and functional considerations warrant no further treatment at this time. On the basis of previous experience and published reports of clinical trials of similar restorations, it is anticipated that this restoration will remain functional for several, if not many, years. Since the completion of this example, many similar fractures have been restored successfully using a V-shaped notch within the enamel all the way around the tooth, rather than only on the labial surface. This is the preferred method at the present time.