Esthetic principles; concepts, and practices in pediatric and adolescent dentistry.

The foundation of all dental esthetics is health. A beautiful dentition only occurs in supporting structures free of disease and inflammatory responses. Beyond health, the desire for manipulation of the oral cavity for esthetics in pedodontics is guided by the expectations of the dentist and the parents. When treatment planning for young children and adolescents, it is imperative that the dentist helps to distinguish procedures performed for the health and functional needs of the child from techniques performed to meet cultural standards of esthetics.