Meeting an Esthetic Challenge: Shade Matching Veneers and a Crown on Maxillary Incisors

One of the toughest challenges in esthetic dentistry is to match the shade of full-coverage crowns and resin-bonded laminate veneers on maxillary incisors. This is particularly difficult when dealing with dissimilar underlying substrates, varying levels of tooth discoloration, and different amounts of sound structure. This clinical report describes an alternative approach for matching the color shade in the anterior area to overcome substrate-related esthetic limitations. To facilitate the tooth being crowned, a core was made from high-opacity lithium-disilicate ceramic, with the shape and shade of the adjacent teeth prepared for veneers. Four veneers were fabricated from high-translucency lithiumdisilicate ceramic and bonded to the natural teeth and the lithium-disilicate core using the same resinbased composite cement to achieve a uniform shade on all restored teeth. A digital workflow was applied to design and manufacture the restorations. This case report demonstrates that the combination of a medium- or high-opacity lithium-disilicate substructure and thin veneers, supported by a digital planning workflow, can provide a viable solution for anterior cases with varying substrate discoloration and restoration thickness.