title: Has tooth structure been replaced?
abstract: In my opinion, there is an obvious trend in the dental literature and in continuing education courses to promote overcutting teeth when preparing them for restorations. There are many reasons for overcutting. Some feel that there is a more optimum esthetic potential when the teeth are prepared more deeply, which is a debatable view. Others are using all-ceramic crowns or polymer crowns when other types of less radical crowns could be used. There also is a significant tendency to prepare teeth for crowns instead of for onlays or inlays, thereby removing more tooth structure than is necessary. High-speed dental air rotor or electric handpieces can cause inadvertent removal of more tooth structure than is necessary. Using large burs can overcut tooth structure, and teeth should be reversed.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Associates, Provo, Utah 84604, USA.
authors.forename: Gordon J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D003442:Crowns; D003737:Dental Cavity Preparation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D003754:Dental High-Speed Equipment; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D003801:Dental Veneers; D006801:Humans; D007284:Inlays; D019246:Tooth Preparation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D019231:Tooth Preparation, Prosthodontic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003776:Dental Porcelain