An Editorial Review

Editorial

It is inevitable that throughout the last decade there has been a rapid turnover in the field of Dental Medicine with an outstanding and continuous progression. The field of conservatism or, more precisely, ultra conservatism, is, currently, expanding to include the whole medical and dental field, as well. It is very evident that comparison of the natural tooth structure to any restorative material, no matter how sophisticated it is, would be in favor of the natural tooth structure, in terms of, both, function and esthetics. Another important issue, is the science of adhesion which has, remarkably, progressed and expanded to include, almost every clinical procedure in dentistry. The strength and durability of adhesive bonds depend on multiple intersecting factors among which are, the quality of the hybrid layer in terms of : the qualitative distribution of adhesive monomers (tubule-wall hybridization, direction of tubules and radial diffusion, and depth of demineralization and monomer diffusion), mechanical properties of the hybrid layer (ultimate tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and bond strength), as well as microleakage, nanoleakage and deterioration of bond strength overtime. Additional factors include, the compositional and structural aspects of enamel and dentin, the intended clinical method of dealing with the smear layer, polymerization shrinkage, transmission of functional stresses across the bonding interphase, as well as, the clinical variables. Esthetic Dentistry has been described as the art of dentistry in its purest form. Modern and sophisticated esthetic procedures would provide marvellous ways to, successfully, change teeth shape, size, position, color, texture, as well as smile design and facial appearance. The oral cavity is the connection between medicine and dentistry and an indication of the general health. Oral diseases impact systemic health and vice versa. There are bidirectional relationships between oral and systemic conditions. The shared immunological pattern induces synergetic pro inflammatory effects among dental and systemic diseases.