Factors mediating against excellence in dental esthetics

Factors mediating against excellence in dental esthetics have been classified and enumerated in this article. A formula for producing unesthetic prostheses can be hypothesized as follows: Educational de-emphasis + Lack of research + Technical orientation + Technical tradition + Delegation (abdication) + Poor economics + Fatique + Poor office design + Convention + Conditioning + Schemata leads to POOR DENTAL ESTHETICS. It is postulated that a formula for excellent dental esthetics can be produced by reversing these factors: Altered schemata + Deconditioning + Altered convention + Adequate office design + Elimination of fatique + Favorable economics + Personal participation + Research + Educational emphasis leads to ESTHETIC EXCELLENCE.