Abstract
The concept of the biomimetic approach to restorative dentistry is currently widespread, and adhesive restorationsthat preserve enamel and tooth structure as much as possible are becoming a mainstream approach worldwide.Thanks to the advance of adhesive technology and the advent and evolution of dental implants, an aggressive toothpreparation for crown and bridge restorations to provide conventional retention and resistance forms should nowonly be used in the case of retreatment, for both anterior and posterior teeth. Since it is difficult to regenerate thehard tissues of teeth at this stage, the objective of restorative treatment is to minimize treatment invasion, preservethe remaining tooth structure and tissues, and maximize the advantages inherent in natural teeth, approximatingand reproducing the biological, structural mechanical, functional, and esthetic properties of the natural teeth. Thetooth preparation design of posterior veneer restorations should be derived on an individual case basis from the followingaspects: 1) remaining tooth structure and surface coverage, 2) bond quality, 3) biomechanics, 4) tooth flexureeffects, 5) maintenance of the bonding interface, 6) material selection, 7) material thickness, and so on. In this review,we discussed the recommended basic preparation designs for anterior veneer restoration from both evidence-basedand experience-based perspectives, with reference to the literature. Therefore, we propose a systematic classificationof occlusal veneers based on the preservation of enamel.
