Proportions and Biometry in The Maxillary Anterior Dentition – A Review
Keywords:
facial aesthetics, golden proportion, dental proportions, teeth dimensions, tooth biometry, anterior restorationsAbstract
Despite a widespread variability in nature, practitioners have long been guided by the desire for predictable and reproducible means to interpret anterior teeth proportions for successful anterior dental aesthetics. Tooth biometry is an essential aspect of anterior arch restorations, where identification and correction of tooth size variations is critical to smile analysis and design.
Achieving a beautiful smile requires harmonious application of art and science.
Recent advances in electronics have made it possible to create virtual smile designs for patients with the click of a button. However, set formulas for intra-arch anterior tooth relationships, as numerous studies have shown, cannot be used as guidelines, they can only be applied and preferred by confined sets of patient populations.
Through this article the author aim to:
Give a synopsis of the psychological and scientific basis of ideal beauty and proportions in nature and the validity of contemporary guidelines.
Review the literature to investigate the suitability and limitations of various proportions proposed for the anterior dentition, like the golden proportion, the recurring aesthetic dental proportion and the golden percentage.
Highlight the relevance of tooth biometry values versus proportions in the dentofacial complex.
Draw conclusions on the more predictable and reproducible tools that clinicians can apply, for satisfying results, including in patients with missing anterior teeth, abnormal values or tooth size variations and discrepancies.
This review will assist the restorative dentist in the everyday practice with the necessary tools and knowledge in order to achieve an aesthetic result with ease and predictability in every aesthetic reconstruction case, regardless of its complexity.
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