Objective Criteria: Guiding and Evaluating Dental Implant Esthetics

concepts of tissue-integrated prostheses with remarkable functional advantages, innovations have resulted in dental implant solutions spanning the spectrum of dental needs. Current discussions concerning the relative merit of an implant versus a 3-unit fixed partial denture fully illustrate the possibility that single implants represent a bona fide choice for tooth replacement. Interestingly, when delving into the detailed comparisons between the outcomes of single-tooth implant versus fixed partial dentures or the intentional replacement of a failing tooth with an implant instead of restoration involving root canal therapy, little emphasis has been placed on the relative esthetic merits of one or another therapeutic approach to tooth replacement therapy. An ideal prosthesis should fully recapitulate or enhance the esthetic features of the tooth or teeth it replaces. Although it is clearly beyond the scope of this article to compare the various methods of esthetic tooth replacement, there is, perhaps, sufficient space to share some insights regarding an objective approach to planning, executing and evaluating the esthetic merit of single-tooth implant restorations.