Diagnosis and management of the worn dentition: conservative restorative options.

Abstract

A technique is presented for the use of a transparent polyvinyl siloxane template constructed from a diagnostic wax-up to rapidly reproduce the anatomical structure with direct restorative materials in the mouth. This technique is beneficial for a number of geriatric patients who would be unable to undertake long and complex dental treatment sessions and provides an alternative for those unable to meet the immediate costs of multiple indirect restorations. Consideration of increases in vertical dimension to create space for the new restorations and reconstruction utilizing a combination of direct and indirect procedures provides control and predictability over the final restorative result. In the short to medium term, the use of minimally invasive adhesive techniques enables tooth surface loss to be replaced with minimal destruction of the remaining sound tooth material, yet still enables the option for a more definitive restorative option at a later date.