In todays dentistry regardless of how complex a case is, the patients will not be happy if the final aesthetic outcome will not fit their expectations. Therefore it is imperative that outlines of the final smile design should be communicated with the patient even before the treatment planning is decided and approved. For an aesthetically and functionally successful case this is mandatory and called the PRE-VISUALISATION. The dentist should ever start any procedure without visualising the final result at the very beginning of the whole treatment.
However in order to pre-visualise the final smile design in the mouth, in 3D, it needs certain tasks to be realised. Going back to basics, the simplistic approach to that will be the application of the direct mock up in the mouth. Even though it appears to be a simple task, in reality in order to get a true realistic design, that needs an experienced dentist with high skill levels, and followed by the wax up stage which needs another experienced technician with high skill levels.
The next step will be to have the final design that should be applied in to the patients mouth in 3D with all the final details as the APT (Aesthetic Pre-evaluative Temporaries) whether it be an analog or digital wax up.
In veneer or crown and bridge cases this can be applied just before the preparation of the teeth, where as in more complex cases like implant or ortho combined prostho cases this should be used as a treatment planning tool.
A well done APT will help the dentist, patient and the technician:
- Work with ease, as patient is motivated throughout the process
- To notice whether the treatment plan is realistic/unrealistic
- To communicate with other team members to show what is the desired final
- To guide orthodontic , periodontal or implant treatment
- To communicate with the technician easily and allow him work more comfortable indirectly
- To prep less and preserve enamel
- To produce veneers with uniform thickness
- To manage color factor better
- To save time, money and equipment
