Methods Used to Select Artificial Anterior Teeth for the Edentulous Patient: A Historical Overview

Purpose: Selecting artificial teeth for a denture is complex when there are no remaining natural teeth and no pre-extraction records. The aim of this paper is to review the methods used to select artificial anterior teeth for the edentulous individual. Materials and Methods: The review takes account of the majority of papers published during the last 100 years and is organized according to the methods used for determining artificial tooth form. Results: Several factors have been proposed as aids for artificial tooth selection, and numerous methods have been devised for the evaluation of reliable esthetic factors in determining artificial tooth form. Conclusion: To date, no universally reliable method of determining tooth form has been found. The Williams classification (1914) is the most universally accepted method of determining anterior tooth form.