
Aesthetic dentistry
Dental aesthetics allows us to satisfy the current society’s growing concern for a healthy and beautiful smile.
Instituto Dental has become a reference centre for dental aesthetic treatments; the personalisation for each one of our patients allows us to select the techniques through which results can be optimised.
Our conception of aesthetics includes non-metal porcelain crowns (zirconium, empress…), ceramic veneers, dental bleaching, reconstructions or aesthetic fronts, and orthodontics.
1. Non-metal porcelain veneers and caps
What are porcelain veneers?
Porcelain veneers are thin sheets which cover the whole front tooth surface adhering to it by means of a special adhesive.
Veneers are used to reconstruct a smile damaged by an alteration in tooth colour or shape.
A porcelain veneer makes it possible to change the shape, the colour and even the position of the tooth.
This is a non-invasive treatment because it only requires a minimum tooth preparation.
Indications
Placing porcelain veneers is indicated in the following cases:
- Tooth colour problems:
Stains caused by medication (as could be tetracycline or fluorosis). - Tooth shape problems:
Teeth which are smaller and sharper than normal, very short teeth, fractured or simply separated teeth.
Contraindications
There are cases in which it is impossible to reconstruct a smile with veneers:
- Cases where the patient’s health and hygiene are insufficient
- Cases of bruxism
- Cases of highly crowded teeth
- Cases where there is not enough enamel to adhere the veneer to the tooth
2. Porcelain caps
Porcelain crowns or caps provide total coating for the tooth simulating the whole crown anatomy.
They are used when the tooth is highly deteriorated and cannot be repaired with a filling.
The materials used can be a combination of metal, porcelain, only porcelain, or zirconium depending on the aesthetic requirements.
3. What is the CAD-CAM technology?
It is the latest advance in dental technology and mainly comprises computer-controlled equipment that designs the cap in 3D following the parameters set by the adjacent and homologous teeth.
It then proceeds to give it shape and finish according to the design.
The possible human error is thus excluded from the final work; and it saves waiting times too.
CAD/CAM
It is the English abbreviation for the expressions:
CAD: computer-aided design; and
CAM: computer-aided manufacturing
Instituto Dental is equipped with a state-of-the-art CAD-CAM system on its premises.
Zirconium crowns with CAD-CAM technology
It is the most recent development in dental aesthetics because it offers a very similar appearance to that of natural teeth.
Zirconium is the most advanced material used in non-metal fixed prostheses and has extraordinary hardness and endurance.
Advantages of zirconium
- Biocompatibility
- Aesthetics
- It eliminates the problem of dark areas in the tooth cervix
- Endurance: it can be used in molars due to its high hardness
- Very similar translucency to that of a natural tooth
- Optimum fit
In short, zirconium allows for the manufacture of dental prostheses without using any metals, thus gaining in aesthetics and translucency, and avoiding the risk of allergies in predisposed persons because of its biocompatible properties.

