Achieving natural-looking morphology and surface textures in anterior ceramic fixed rehabilitations

This article describes a procedure to achieve natural-looking morphology and surface textures in anterior ceramic restorations. The natural dentition serves as an atlas to interpret and mimic the orientation and location of dental anatomic structures. Transition angles and ridges; proximal slopes; labial grooves; the cervical, middle, and incisal thirds of the buccal surface; the lingual central concavity; and the lingual transition ridges should all be mimicked by the prosthetic work to achieve esthetic integration. The position of buccal transition ridges directly influences the buccal mesiodistal dimension-the so-called "visual width." Once the desired morphology is obtained, a gold powder is used to outline its surface texture. This uniform golden appearance allows for precise identification of specific surface features such as ridges, grooves, and sulci for their consequent mimicking onto the ceramic surface. Specific surface texture characteristics reflect light and thus enhance visual dimensions of the rehabilitation and its final esthetic integration.