Challenges of restoring an anterior maxillary tooth: The impact of fluorescence and the mock-up approach

Nowadays, esthetic demand stimulates optimized optical features that offer satisfactory masking effects, particularly in anterior restorations. In cases in which only a single tooth is involved, the treatment is one of the most challenging of all esthetic restorations. The optical characteristics of the natural teeth are essential to masking the restoration and are determined by the interaction of light and dental substrates with varying degrees of translucency and opacity. Additionally, form and superficial texture are important in terms of ensuring the natural harmony of the dental restoration. Thus, technical approaches, such as mock-up and composite resin stratification, have led to favorable outcomes. This case report describes an easy and reliable restorative procedure of a maxillary central incisor that focuses on achieving a natural appearance by using an adequate direct composite resin restoration. Keywords: composite resin, fluorescence, mock-up