The Number One Key to Achieving Esthetic Incisal Translucency

Dr. Lee Ann Brady Incisal Edge Translucency

Esthetics are coming to dominate the dental scene as patients become more knowledgable about oral health and cosmetic options. If you want to benefit from this trend, you have to create superior esthetics and market your skills effectively. Incisal translucency is one area in particular where you can elevate the quality of restorations.

by Dr. Lee Ann Brady

Read on to learn the key for esthetic tooth appearance matching, photography tips, and what info you should communicate to the lab for a beautiful result:

Technique for Achieving Incisal Translucency

Dr. Lee Ann Brady incisal translucencyOne of the distinctive characteristics of upper anterior teeth is the incisal translucency. If we are matching the appearance of an adjacent natural tooth, we want to make sure that the incisal translucency has the same color and characteristic.

Digital Photography Tips and Tricks

Digital photography is the key. Taking photos of the upper anterior teeth with a black contraster behind them accentuates the appearance of the incisal translucency.

Change the angle of the camera lens to shoot down on the teeth. Also, move the flash reflection onto the gingiva so that the incisal characteristics are clearly visible in the photos. Finally, bracketing the shots by changing the F-stops can also add valuable information.

Essential Lab Communication for Esthetics

When we are restoring the entire esthetic zone, we still need to provide the lab with appropriate information. You can make sure to communicate the width and color of the incisal translucency to them.

Do you want to see the lobes of dentin effect or have the frosted appearance to the incisal of the tooth? Another approach is to send photos of natural teeth or restorations whose incisal effects you wish the lab to match.

What’s one of your hidden tricks for esthetic dentistry? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

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