A stereolithographic template for computer-assisted teeth preparation in dental esthetic ceramic veneer treatment.

OBJECTIVE

This article describes a digital dental esthetic ceramic veneer treatment workflow using a stereolithographic template for teeth preparation.

CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS

We have presented the case of a 33-year-old woman with dental fluorosis who wanted an esthetic ceramic veneer treatment. A digital smile design was created on a virtual patient, and a virtual diagnostic wax-up was made. Based on the suggested ceramic material thickness, virtual teeth preparation was performed on the diagnostic wax-up. A special-teeth preparation template was then created digitally and fabricated using a stereolithographic technique. This template guided the teeth preparation using a special bur with a stopper. The veneers were fabricated by CAD/CAM and delivered good esthetics and function.

CONCLUSIONS

The stereolithographic tooth reduction template helps realize digital restorative planning. It provides better control of the reduction depth of the labial and incisal preparation, making the operation simpler.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The digital dental esthetic ceramic veneer treatment workflow described here using a stereolithographic template for teeth preparation helped with the accurate control of reduction depth for minimally invasive teeth preparation, making the operation simpler, which is a significant improvement over the previous methods.