Adhesive Restorations, Centric Relation, and the Dahl Principle: Minimally Invasive Approaches to Localized Anterior Tooth Erosion

The purpose of this article is to review biomechanical and occlusal principles that could help optimize the conservative treatment of severely eroded and worn anterior dentition using adhesive restorations. It appears that enamel and dentin bonding, through the combined use of resin composites (on the palatal surface) and indirect porcelain veneers (on the facial/incisal surfaces) can lead to an optimal result from both esthetic and functional/biomechanical aspects. Cases of deep bite combined with palatal erosion and wear can be particularly challenging. A simplified approach is proposed through the use of an occlusal therapy combining centric relation and the Dahl principle to create anterior interocclusal space to reduce the need for more invasive palatal reduction. This approach allows the ultraconservative treatment of localized anterior tooth erosion and wear.