Operative dentistry: an alternative to orthodontics

The purpose of this paper is to describe a clinical case, which highlights the role of Operative Dentistry in the treatment of Dento-alveolar Disproportion in an impoverished tropical environment. The patient had a diastema located between tooth 24 and tooth 25 due to an atypical position of his tongue while swallowing. The patient had been referred to because he could not afford Orthodontics. We suggested a conservative bridge compounded of 2 resin veneers and pontic bounded by the composite tetric ceram. The 0.5 mm teeth reduction concern lingual and proximal faces with retention form, starting at 0.3 mm from the incisal edge to 0.5 mm from the gingiva was performed with diamond burs (Shoulder and finishing). The result was satisfactory and leads us to conclude that Operative Dentistry is a good alternative to Orthodontics in a very specific social context.