Updating Classifications of Ceramic Dental Materials
The indications for and composition of today’s dental ceramic materials serve as the basis for determining the appropriate class of ceramics to use for a given case. By understanding the classifications, composition, and characteristics of the latest all-ceramic materials, which are presented in this article in order of most to least conservative, dentists and laboratory technicians can best determine the ideal material for a given treatment.

Fatigue Resistance and Crack Propensity of Novel "Super-Closed" Sandwich Composite Resin Restorations in Large MOD Defects
To asses the influence of conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC) vs resin-modified GIC (RMGIC) as a base material for novel, super-closed sandwich restorations (SCSR) and its effect on shrinkage-induced crack propensity and in vitro accelerated fatigue resistance. A standard MOD slot-type tooth preparation was applied to 30 extracted maxillary molars. A modified sandwich restoration was used, in which the enamel/dentin bonding agent was applied first, followed by a Ketac Molar or Fuji II LC base, leaving 2mm for composite resin material. Shrinkage induced enamel cracks were tracked with photography and transillumination. Samples were loaded until fracture or to a maximum of 185,000 cycles under isometric chewing, starting with a load of 200 N and gradually up to a maximum of 30,000 each...

Contemporary Options for Restoration of Anterior Teeth with Composite
The present article gives an overview of modern adhesive restoration in the anterior area, in view of the fact that modern dental therapy should be as minimally invasive as possible. Illustrated with multiple cases, the article shows possible prospective fields of indication.

Planning & Finishing Techniques
Longevity and optimal aesthetics are critical aspects to consider when planning for direct composite resin restorations. While strength, wear resistance, and superior micromechanical retention are typically associated with functional durability, during the planning stage clinicians must equally consider aesthetic longevity, which includes retension of the original morphology, color stability, stain resistance, and marginal adaptation. To ensure optimum results for direct composite resin restorations,…

Visagism: The Art of Dental Composition
The aim of this article is to present a novel concept: Visagism. The Visagism concept helps dental clinicians provide restorations that account not only for esthetics, but also for the psychosocial features of the created image, which affect patients’ emotions, sense of identity, behavior, and self-esteem. These factors, in turn, affect how observers react to patients following treatment.

Ethics and Economics of Composite Resin Restoration
When I began my dental career, the full crown was really the main option being taught for esthetic dentistry. With the development of composite resins, we could refrain from reducing valuable enamel.

Bringing Composite Resins to an Art Form in the Anterior Segment
Esthetic dentistry has evolved tremendously over the past twenty years and has gained unprecedented acceptance by both dentists and patients alike. Currently, the use of high-end technology and state-of-the-art materials enables specialists and general practitioners to perform esthetic procedures at the utmost level of scientific soundness while effecting like-life results.

A Polychromatic Composite Layering Approach for Solving a Complex Class IV/Direct Veneer-Diastema Combination
This article demonstrates an advanced clinical technique for enhancing the appearance of the anterior dentition as achieved via tooth whitening and a combination of a Class IV restoration and a direct resin veneer.

Prosthetic Gingival Reconstruction in Fixed Partial Restorations - Part 3: Laboratory Procedures and Maintenance
This third and final installment in the series focuses on the laboratory and clinical procedures involved in fabricating a prosthesis with artificial gingiva and provides information on proper maintenance of these restorations.

Communicating Digitally with the Laboratory: Design, Impressions, Shade, and the Digital Laboratory Slip
This article will review and explore some of the digital opportunities and rationales for digital communication of all forms of clinical information from the dentist to the laboratory.

Prosthetic Gingival Reconstruction in the Fixed Partial Restoration - Part 2: Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
This second article on the use of artificial gingiva in fixed partial restorations focuses on diagnosis and treatment planning.

Prosthetic Gingival Reconstruction in a Fixed Partial Restoration - Part 1: Introduction to Artificial Gingiva as an Alternative Therapy
The Class III defect environment entails a vertical and horizontal deficiency in the endentulous ridge. Often, bone and soft tissue surgical procedures fall short of achieving a natural esthetic result. Alternative surgical and restorative protocols for these types of prosthetic gingival restorations are presented in this three-part series, which highlights the diagnostic and treatment aspects as well as the lab and maintenance challenges involved.

Final Finishing of Composites and Laminates
Covers the principles in finishing laminates.

Direct Posterior Bonded Restorations - An Outline of a Clinical Technique
In this study, the authors explore current concepts in direct posterior bonded restorations

The Centripetal Build-Up for Composite Resin Posterior Restorations
This paper introduces a new technique for creating Class II posterior composite restorations - the centripetal build-up. This technique replaces the lost tooth structure from the periphery towards the center of the cavity, thereby achieving better marginal adaptation to the gingival floor. Since overfilling is rare, rotary finishing is minimized. This method allows the creation of long-term aesthetic posterior composite restorations, while utilizing conventional auxiliary (ie, metal matrix bands…