Course Objectives (4 Credits)

This presentation covers the use of laboratory-fabricated porcelain veneers, from treatment planning to placement. Practitioners that complete the presentation will know the following:

• Porcelain veneering basics: preparation, temporization, and seating.
• Clinical assessment and utilization of prep or no-prep technique.
• Cementation steps: choosing a medium-value (zero-shade) translucent cement, dentin or enamel adhesive bonding considerations, silane placement.
• Thinking in advance about financial arrangements if a patient changes his or her mind at try-in, before the cementation of no-prep veneers.
• Placement tips: etching; placement and seating; initial curing with the tack and wave technique; closing margins; clean-up, final cure and methods of removing resin cement.
• Managing patients' expectations for additive cases; judging results from their viewpoint.
• Explaining the pros and cons of the prep and no-prep techniques to patients, such as more attention to keeping the supra-gingival margins of no-prep veneers clean.
• Examining the emergence profile when using the no-prep technique and considering the use of supra- gingival margins and avoiding damage to the periodontium when re-contouring the porcelain.
• Treating a gummy smile: anesthetizing tips; use of a lab-fabricated BioTemps® stent; lengthening the incisal edge; method of gingival reduction; biological width considerations; removal of osseous tissue and suturing.
• Practice tips: shade taking; tooth preparation (the use and blending of depth cuts and preparation of lingual margins), cord packing; prep touch-up; impression techniques; making temporaries.
• Veneer try-in and placement when using the conventional prep technique, including a comparison, on the same case, of hand-built feldspathic and pressed sets of veneers.
• Discussion and implementation of pre-preparation case planning for better esthetics with an in-depth demonstration on a model.
• The making of pressed (Prismatik ThinPress™) veneers for the no-prep technique.

Summary

Six porcelain veneer cases provide a close look at beautiful solutions to many commonly encountered dental challenges. Two cases highlight the pros and cons of the no-prep technique. In another two cases, the use of gingival recontouring to achieve patients' desires is demonstrated. Also shown is the replacement of old veneers, and a conservative treatment of lower anterior teeth with veneers instead of full-coverage crowns.

After a brief introduction and insightful discussions about matters to consider, comprehensive practical demonstrations of many successful outcomes help prepare practitioners to meet patients' expectations. From planning and consideration of alternative approaches to execution, the necessary steps are presented, and many practice tips are provided, to help participants efficiently achieve desired clinical results.

CAUTION: When viewing the techniques, procedures, theories and materials that are presented, you must make your own decisions about specific treatment for patients and exercise personal professional judgment regarding the need for further clinical testing or education and your own clinical expertise before trying to implement new procedures.