title: Can they really be opposite? A new look at four critical aspects of anterior dental morphology.
abstract: Human dental anatomy has not changed significantly in hundreds of years. Dental students and students of dental laboratory technology learn human dental anatomy as fundamental to their didactic work. Yet, so often we see dental restorations that do not follow the accepted basic design criteria of natural teeth. A possible conclusion is that the information was correctly presented as a basic science, but not completely carried over into clinical practice. When visually essential aspects of dental anatomy and composition are not accurately incorporated into esthetic restorations, patients are not completely served, and practitioners may be frustrated as well. This article reviews four essential aspects of anterior dental morphology--anterior tooth width/length proportions, bilateral symmetry, incisal edges, and incisal embrasures--that often are not accurately incorporated into dental restorations, and positions them in an easy to remember format: opposites.
authors.affiliation: The Kornberg School of Dentistry, Temple University, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008334:Mandible; D008437:Maxilla; D009811:Odontometry / Q000592:standards*; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000592:standards*