Continuing towards the most popular post of 2011, coming in at #2 was “The Starburst Bevel on Anterior Composites”, published on December 6. I wrote this post after having the privilege to hear Dr, Brian LeSage lecture on anterior composite techniques. He presented a unique way to create a bevel on the labial margins of a preparation for composite. The design is intended to fool the eye and have the margin completely disappear. This “trick” comes from what we know about our visual perception of restorative materials and teeth. Our eye uses the amount of reflected light to make assessments about shade components light, value, hue and chroma. A butt joint margin, even when the “shade” has been selected perfectly is difficult if not impossible to hide. This is because composite (porcelain) and tooth structure have different light properties. The restorative material absorbs or reflects light differently than the enamel over dentin that comprises the tooth. This difference is detected by the eye and we can “see” the margin.
The starburst bevel is a technique that creates a large variation in the light properties where the tooth and the composite come together, by overlapping them. The overlap is different thicknesses of composite and different distances long. This technique uses another concept of visual perception called “blending” and this in combination with no dramatic shift in light properties “hides” the interface. When I wrote the post I had been using the technique for a few weeks since learning it with great success. I have had the opportunity to continue to see incredible success with this technique and hear great feedback from dentists that read the original post and have tried it. If you haven’t yet had a chance or, this is your first exposure, I strongly encourage you to give it a try.
To read the entire original post:https://leeannbrady.com/esthetic-dentistry/the-starburst-bevel-on-anterior-composites
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