Small Bruce W
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, USA.
Gen Dent. 2008 Mar-Apr;56(2):126-8, 130.
The real definition of restorative dentistry is found in the heart and hands of each individual restorative dentist. His or her training, continuing dental education, mentors, needs (financial and emotional), and style of practice all help to develop a philosophy of dental practice that affects daily restorative decisions. Depending on the factors described above, the decision to repair a tooth or change the environment and restore the tooth to a different shape, size, or color also may change. In recent years, patients' esthetic desires have become more of a factor than they were in previous decades. There are no exact written-tn-stone definitions of restorative dentistry, since the answers are operator-dependent and can vary. This column is meant to be food for thought and perhaps inspire discussion when dentists assemble for meetings or study clubs with the goal of delivering longer-lasting dentistry through a restorative dental practice.
修复牙科的真正定义存在于每位修复牙医的内心和手中。他或她的培训、持续牙科教育、导师、需求（经济和情感方面）以及执业风格，都有助于形成一种影响日常修复决策的牙科执业理念。根据上述因素，修复牙齿或改变环境并将牙齿修复成不同形状、大小或颜色的决策也可能会改变。近年来，患者对美观的需求比过去几十年变得更为重要。修复牙科并没有确切的、一成不变的书面定义，因为答案取决于操作者，且可能各不相同。本专栏旨在引发思考，或许能在牙医们为通过修复牙科实践提供更持久的牙科治疗而齐聚会议或学习俱乐部时激发讨论。
