A Simplified Approach for Restoration of Worn Dentition Using the Full Mock-up Concept: Clinical Case Reports

Treatment of tooth wear has increased over the last two decades. However, the treatments involved have not been satisfactory to most patients, nor have they achieved the expected goal on some worn teeth. New approaches have emerged to reconstruct full arches in a minimally invasive way that take advantage of developments in the field of adhesive dentistry. These new concepts constitute a revolution in dentistry and their application requires adapted techniques and training. The purpose of this article is to suggest a precise and reproducible method that simplifies the treatment of worn dentition. A wax-up and a mock-up are primarily used to design the esthetic outcome and then used as a guide for the preparation of anterior teeth or the occlusal surfaces of posterior teeth. This not only provides the exact new vertical dimension of occlusion but serves as a guide for precisely controlling occlusal preparation simultaneously with buccal preparation. The classical cavity design for a partial bonded restoration on posterior worn dentition is also reviewed. The authors believe that during the preparation of the occlusal surfaces of the posterior teeth surfaces, the marginal ridges must be preserved to reduce the biologic cost and mechanical stress leading to fracture. A new type of thin and reduced restoration called tabletop is presented.