Description:

The goals of contemporary restorative dentistry and prosthodontics should be (1) the maintenance of the vitality of the teeth to be restored and (2) the maximum preservation of sound tooth structure. The core idea of the biomimetic principle in restorative dentistry and prosthodontics is that the intact tooth in its ideal hues and shades, and perhaps more importantly in its intracoronal anatomy, mechanics and location in the arch, is the guide to reconstruction and determinant of success. The approach is basically conservative and biologically sound. The application of the biomimetic principle involves returning all of the prepared dental tissues to full functional by the creation of a hard tissue bond that allows functional stresses to pass through the tooth, drawing the entire crown into the final functional biologic and esthetic result. Unlike traditional alloy restorations and cemented crowns, novel-design indirect composite resin/porcelain adhesive restorations are stress distributors and involve the crown of the tooth as a whole in supporting occlusal force and masticatory function. Indirect bonded restorations, also provide the practitioner with a noninvasive and social restorative tool owing to the minimum maintenance costs. One can anticipate considerable improvements such as in the treatment of crown-fractured and worn-down teeth, which should reduce the need for preprosthetic interventions (e.g. root canal therapy and crown-lengthening) and the use of intraradicular posts.