RECENT ADVANCES IN AESTHETIC PROSTHODONTICS: Smart Smiles

Although the dictionary definition of aesthetics – “the science of beauty in nature and arts” – appeals to our scientifically oriented education, it does not stand up to Hegel’s statement: “Beauty, as the substance of the imagination and feeling, cannot be an exact science.”The term “aesthetics” is borrowed from the Greek word “aisthesis”, which means sensation or sensibility. The relation of this term to dentistry has been differentiated from the word “cosmetic”, which is derived from the Greek word “kosmos”.According to the Glossary of Prosthodontic Terms, aesthetics can be defined as pertaining to the study of beauty, descriptive of a specific creation that results from such a study; it objectifies beauty and attractiveness and elicits pleasure.