The role of emergence profile in papilla maintenance after diastema closure with direct composite resin restorations.

The dental morphology usually determines the shape and volume of the interdental space, which must be filled by a dense connective tissue covered by oral epithelium to achieve pleasant esthetics. When composite resin restorations are placed to solve esthetic problems, the restorative procedure must be designed to allow the formation of healthy interdental papilla. This case report discusses aspects that should be considered when composite resin restorations are proposed for diastema closure. A 23-year-old man sought treatment for variations of space in the anterior dentition after orthodontic treatment. Direct composite resin restorations were placed in a way that respected the emergence profile, even though "black triangles" were evident immediately after the procedure. At the 45-day follow-up, complete closure of the interdental spaces by healthy papillae was observed. The emergence profile should be identified and respected when restorations are placed to obtain diastema closure because healthy periodontal tissues and acceptable esthetics depend on it.