Digitally designed and additively manufactured tooth reduction guides for porcelain laminate veneer preparations: A clinical report

Abstract

Porcelain laminate veneers are a conservative treatment to enhance esthetics, tooth shape, color, and contours. Enamel preservation during tooth preparation is essential for the long-term success of these micromechanically retained partial coverage restorations. Different methods have been described to clinically assess tooth preparation relative to definitive restorative contours. This clinical report describes a digital workflow to fabricate 3-dimensionally (3D) printed tooth reduction guides based on digital esthetic planning. These 3D-printed reduction guides help clinicians visualize and gauge tooth preparations relative to the desired restorative contours, aid in enamel preservation, and overcome some of the limitations associated with conventionally fabricated tooth reduction guides.