Esthetic rehabilitation of anterior discolored teeth with lithium disilicate all-ceramic restorations.
The esthetic treatment of darkened anterior teeth represents a great challenge to dentists, because dental materials ideally should match the natural teeth. The optical behavior of the final restoration is determined by the color of the underlying tooth structure, the color of the luting agent, and the thickness and opacity of the ceramic material used. This article reports a case in which veneers and full crowns made of heat-pressed, lithium disilicate glass-ceramic were used for the esthetic rehabilitation of anterior discolored teeth. The patient was referred for treatment with defective anterior composite resin restorations, provisional acrylic resin crowns, darkening of the gingival margins, and uneven gingival contours. The multidisciplinary treatment plan included dental bleaching, periodontal plastic surgery to create gingival symmetry, and indirect all-ceramic restorations using high-opacity lithium disilicate glass-ceramic ingots. The treatment was successful and an excellent esthetic result was achieved.