Esthetic Anterior Composites-Esthetic Anterior Composites

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Video Summary

Dr. Sharon Aradine presented a lecture on aesthetic anterior composites, emphasizing that treatment planning must address the overall smile, not just a single fractured tooth. She reviewed key aesthetic principles including gingival display, incisal edge position, midline, symmetry, tooth proportions, embrasures, and color matching. She explained that ideal restorations should follow facial and lip harmony, with the incisal plane parallel to the interpupillary line and midline aligned to the face when possible.<br /><br />The lecture covered shade selection, color mapping, and the importance of value, translucency, and hydration when matching natural teeth. Dr. Aradine discussed material choices, including nanofilled composites for polishability and wear resistance, and techniques such as facial beveling, mock-ups, and layering dentin and enamel shades to mimic natural tooth structure.<br /><br />She also compared matrix systems: Mylar strips, Teflon tape, and BioClear, noting when each is useful for contacts, contours, and diastema closure. Finishing and polishing were highlighted as essential separate steps, using diamonds, blades, strips, discs, and spirals to refine contours and achieve high aesthetics. Multiple clinical cases illustrated how careful planning, matrix selection, and layered composite techniques can improve anterior esthetics and patient satisfaction.

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Esthetic Anterior Composites Sharon Aradine, DMD, MS Subject: 780 Credits: 1.0 Audience: Dentists Fee: $125 (non-members); $75 (members); $37.50 (students) Description This presentation is meant to help dentists understand the indications for when and where to utilize composite in the anterior. It will also cover placement, finishing and polishing of composites in order to achieve an esthetic outcome. Learning Objectives - Provide indications and contraindications for anterior composites for esthetics - Cover techniques for placing, finishing, and polishing anterior composites in order to achieve an esthetic outcome - Provide clinical examples of anterior composite cases utilizing covered techniques and indications Speaker Bio Dr. Aradine did her undergraduate at the United States Air Force Academy, and dental school at the University of Pennsylvania. She then completed a 1 year AEGD residency at Langley Air Force Base, VA. She did an operational remote tour to Turkey, and then completed a 2 year AEGD residency at Lackland Air Force Base, TX. She is currently the director of operative dentistry for the AEGD-2 residency program at Lackland. This course is sponsored by Region 17.

Keywords

aesthetic anterior composites

smile design

shade selection

composite layering

matrix systems

finishing and polishing

tooth morphology

anterior esthetics