An esthetic challenge: isolated areas of high translucency in laminate veneers

Porcelain laminate veneer restorations are much thinner than other types of restorations such as crowns or onlays. Within the range of 0.3 to 1.5 mm, it is not an easy task for the clinician to provide the appropriate clearance for the ideal restoration and, concurrently, for the dental technician to predictably create a piece of imitated nature. The advantages of enamel preservation and the principle of nil nocere imply removing as little tooth structure as possible for the purpose of maintaining tooth health, its mechanical strength and ensure the treatment's long-term predictability. There has to be a balance between the requirements of reduction clearance, which will enable the technician to achieve the desired esthetic result, and the minimally invasive principles of dentistry. With laminate veneer cases, there might be areas of variable ceramic thickness that can create esthetic problems. These will be hard to correct during cementation and will also be clearly visible to the patient. Clinical cases are presented here to outline this type of problem.