Anterior esthetics achieved with orthodontic therapy: a report of three cases

The adult dental patient today, as a discerning consumer, is seeking the highest quality care in the realm of esthetic dentistry, and frequently these expectations can be met through the modalities of bonded composites, porcelain laminates, porcelain bonded to etched metal support structures or modified conventional crown and bridge prosthodontics. However, there are occasions where the individual tooth, teeth, or the arches are so aligned that the pulpal, gingival, or osseous tissues would be jeopardized by the conventional restorative intercession. The incorporation of accepted and routine procedures of acid etching and direct bonding of orthodontic appliances to the surfaces of the adult dentition to reposition malposed teeth offers the clinician a magnificent alternative or adjunct to the conventional dental material forms of treatment. This article will present several patient treatments that incorporated the use of acid etching and direct bonding of orthodontic appliances to the surfaces of the patient's teeth for the purposes of repositioning the teeth with or without the need for restorative interventions.