Integrating esthetic dentistry and space closure in patients with missing maxillary lateral incisors.

T plans for patients with missing max­ illary lateral incisors have traditionally included either space closure or space reopen­ ing.1-9 The most common objections to orthodon­ tic space closure are that the treatment outcome may not look “natural”, that retention is difficult, and that the functional occlusion may be com­ promised. Many clinicians have therefore pre­ ferred to create space for missing lateral incisors with single-tooth implants or resin-bonded bridges.8,9 In the past, however, neither approach produced results that were entirely satisfactory from an esthetic and functional standpoint. Now, with the possibility of esthetic tooth restorations using bonded ceramics and resin composites, together with various procedures for at-home or in-office tooth whitening, the profes­ sion is changing its way of thinking.10 The pur­ pose of this article is to show the considerable improvement that can be achieved today with the space-closure alternative by combining tech­ niques from esthetic dentistry and carefully detailed orthodontic treatment. Such treatment