Using functional analysis to determine if esthetically driven treatment requires comprehensive care for long-term success

This article reviews the case of a male patient with esthetic concerns about a large diastema between teeth Nos. 8 and 9. Through functional analysis, the clinician determined that the patient had a mild temporomandibular disorder, as well as a constriction in his anterior envelope of function. These issues will affect the prognosis of treatment if only orthodontics is used to close the diastema. The clinician determined that implementing a systematic treatment planning approach was critical in achieving a successful outcome, which was accomplished with a combination of orthodontics, occlusal deprogramming, and complex prosthodontics restorations.