A Digital Protocol for Management of the Restorative Margin and Emergence Profile of Vertically Prepared Teeth.

Abstract

Purpose: To describe a digital workflow for the management of the emergence profile and the restoration's finishing line on vertically prepared teeth using a digital data set.

Materials and methods: Three scans (the prepared teeth the day of the preparation, the provisional restoration placed on the preparation after soft tissue maturation, and the provisional restoration outside of the oral cavity) were combined under a common data set to provide the necessary information to design the final restoration.

Results: The digital technique presented can facilitate the implementation of the vertical preparation, because the desired finish line can be defined by the clinician and be transferred predictably to the dental lab. The current approach provides an alternative gingival management method, taking advantage of the displacement of soft tissue after vertical preparation.

Conclusions: Positioning of the final finishing line on vertically prepared teeth, management of soft tissue, and fabrication of the final restoration can be facilitated with this approach, combining a digital data set that has been obtained during a distinct phase of the treatment.