Treatment Concept with CAD/CAM-Fabricated High-Density Polymer Temporary Restorations.

ABSTRACT Tooth wear in younger patients is perceived worldwide as an increasing problem. Its etiology is multifactorial (erosion, abrasion, attrition), and its treatment is challenging for the dental practitioner specifically when a great loss of the vertical dimension of occlusion has occurred. The aim of this article is to present a treatment approach for complex cases with high loss of tooth structure using computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM)-fabricated temporary high-density polymer restorations without any preparations. New manufacturing technologies and innovative materials such as high-density polymers offer good possibilities for restorations during the pretreatment period. This is especially important in circumstances requiring massive corrections of color, form, or position. Pretreatment periods are indispensable in refining important factors such as lip-position dynamics as well as the correct position of the smile line, which cannot be adequately assessed in the dental laboratory. In the presented case report, CAD/CAM-fabricated non-preparation restorations were adhesively placed on the worn dentition without any further loss of tooth structure. Such an approach provides the opportunity to 'test-drive' the new restoration design in terms of function, phonetics, and esthetics, thus improving the predictability of the definitive restorations design. If any change in the design is required, it can be cost-effectively achieved through simple modification or replacement of the restorations. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The prolonged pretreatment phase using CAD/CAM-fabricated high-density polymer temporaries can help the practitioner turn challenging treatments into more predictable ones with respect to function and esthetics. (J Esthet Restor Dent ••:••-••, 2011) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]