Esthetics: Illusion or Reality?

Every one of us has a general sense of beauty. However our own individual expression, interpretation and experience make it unique. Webster's third new international dictionary defines "esthetics'' as "appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful; having the sense of beauty or fine culture." A desire to look attractive is no longer taken as a sign of vanity. In an economically, socially and sexually competitive world, a pleasing appearance is a necessity. Creating illusion is one of the most important objectives of esthetic dentistry. The ability to make a tooth look wider or thinner, smaller or larger is an invaluable aid when solving difficult esthetic problems. Illusion enhances realism using three techniques: 1. Shaping and Contouring. 2. Arrangement of Teeth. 3. Staining. As stated by Dawson "Esthetics and function go hand in hand. The better the esthetics, the better the function is likely to be and vice versa". Thus by this poster we are trying to show how esthetics can be enhanced by conservative illusionary effects. Keywords: esthetics, illusion, reality