Today, everybody thinks of aesthetics when dentistry is mentioned. Patient expectation cannot be satisfied with the elimination of functional deficiency. In addition to function, an excellent aesthetic should also be provided. As a result of this demand, many treatment methods and materials are created in order to be able to provide the most natural and aesthetic performance.

Aesthetic dentistry has many sub branches. As a result, both a patient with a single decayed tooth and a patient with no teeth in his mouth demand an aesthetic result.

What Is Aesthetic Tooth Filling?

When a tooth was decayed, extraction was the first thing that was applied in the past. Today, everybody is aware how important a single tooth is. For this reason, even teeth with advanced decays are tried to be saved with root canal treatment and additional restorations. However, saving teeth is not sufficient. Even though amalgam (silvery) fillings showed satisfying result for health in the past, it does not satisfy any patient today. As a result, adhesive systems were developed. Consequent to this improvement, both fore teeth and molar teeth can be filled with minimum effort and the best result is obtained for a natural appearance.

In cases of more advanced decays, indirect methods were developed both for functional and for aesthetic success. In these methods, instead of applying restoration directly to mouth; indirect restorations which are called Inlay, Onlay or Overlay are prepared by a doctor after measurements are taken from a patient or by technicians in laboratories using composite or ceramic materials in accordance with the need, and these restorations are transferred to mouth.

What Is Laminate?

Laminate Veneers are produced subsequent to increasing demand and in order to meet this demand with minimum effort. It is generally applied to fore teeth. Thanks to current technology, either Prepless (directly applying to front side without any intervention on tooth) or Prep less (applying only to front side of tooth or with 0.3 mm approx. minimum intervention) is applied. In addition to direct application to mouth with composite material, it can also be applied indirectly after it is prepared in laboratory from composite or ceramic material. In case of crowded teeth, it helps to slight level differences, colorings and to any situation which affects aesthetic appearance of frontal views of teeth. The process is highly demanded by patients who require an aesthetic appearance for it is only applied to front sides of teeth and either no intervention or minimum intervention is made. Laminate Veneer is highly valued for it can be completed almost within a week.

What Else Can Be Applied to Front Part?

Full porcelain crowns are preferred for an aesthetic result in patients with bruxism (grinding or clenching of the teeth), malocclusion, apparent teeth level differences and decays in teeth interfaces.

Both the amount of abraded tooth is minimized since there is no metal substructure in full porcelain crowns and the best aesthetic result is obtained through maximizing light transmission and the removal of reflection of lower metal.

What Can Be Done In Missing Teeth Cases?

In case of missing teeth, either ceramic crowns can be applied with the application of dental implant in place of missing teeth or through affixing aesthetic pieces on this implant, or zirconium crowns can be applied. Apart from these, zirconium substructured bridge prostheses can be placed having abraded adjacent teeth.

What Is Zirconium?

Zirconium Crown is a substructural material developed in place of metal material which is used as a substructural element in order to increase resistance in bridge prostheses. It is possible to obtain good results aesthetically through stratified processing on porcelain layer which has various color options. When we suggest aesthetic bridge prostheses in missing teeth, we prefer zirconium substructured bridge prostheses. Zirconium has become widely preferred since it has various color options and allows to remove less material from tooth compared to metal substructured bridges.

Can Zirconium Be Applied In All Cases?

Zirconium can easily be used in incisor or molar area single tooth crowns, in crowns over implants and in incisor and molar area bridges. It provides a satisfying result both for aesthetic appearance and for resistance and function. Although its resistance level is rather high, it is not as resistant as metal. For this reason, in case of excessive missing teeth, that is to say, in case long bridges are required, metal substructured porcelain bridges are preferred.

Are Metal Substructured Bridges Not Aesthetic?

Metal substructure have been used both on incisor and on molar area for long years even before aesthetic materials such as zirconium substructure, full ceramic crowns, laminate veneers were produced. With the development of technology, much progress is achieved on factors such as metal type, its use and application and the type of porcelain which is processed on it. It can be used conveniently in case other new and more aesthetic options are contraindicated.

Laboratory stages changed with the help of developments and the great part of the work is progressed with computer assisted machinery. This provides results which have the same quality and which are aesthetically at least as good as other methods. Furthermore, these can be preferred for they are cheaper than other current aesthetic applications. In terms of health and aesthetics, our patients can prefer metal substructured porcelain crowns or bridges with their minds at peace.

Will My Teeth Be Damaged When They Will Be Abraded for Metal Substructured Bridge?

Since prosthesis takes support from adjacent teeth in Bridge Prostheses, it is required to remove a little bit of supporting teeth. Patients undergo no problems subsequent to this application thanks to accurate planning, minimum abrasion and well-structured prostheses.

Can Food Residues Go Under Bridge? How Can I Clean It?

There are parts on missing teeth sections of bridge prosthesis which are called “Body”. Food residues can go between these parts and gingiva. However, thanks to a current method which is defined as “Hygienic Body”, this problem is minimized and patients are able to clean contaminated area easily with the help of dental floss or interface brush.

Can I Obtain an Aesthetic Result in Case I Have To Use Removable Prosthesis?

Removable prostheses are applied in case of excessive missing teeth or to edentulous patients. Today, their use is reduced to minimum degree with the emergence of dental implant alternative. However, there are some cases which make their application unavoidable. In order to achieve maximum aesthetic result, precision attachment prostheses are developed instead of previous partial dental prosthesis. Thus, crochets are eliminated which provided prosthesis to take support from present teeth while, at the same time, affected aesthetic appearance negatively.

Artificial teeth which are used in edentulous cases are also had its share from developments. Both aesthetically successful and functionally non-disadvantageous prostheses are produced from materials such as composite and acrylic. In this way, the closest result to naturality can be acquired.

How Should I Choose My Prosthesis?

Both patient and doctor should decide together in the choice of prosthesis to be applied. Doctor should suggest suitable treatment options and patient should choose the best among them, both for his or her budget and the most reasonable one for health. Besides, it is doctor’s duty to offer suitable colors, forms, sizes and to test them on patient’s teeth in order to reach aesthetic achievement.

How Long Prosthesis Process Takes and How Much It Costs?

Since there are more than one treatment option and treatment requirements differ from patient to patient, it is not possible to give an average information about duration and cost. It is best to be examined by a specialist and get more information.