REABILITAÇÃO ORAL COM AUMENTO DE DIMENSÃO VERTICAL DE OCLUSÃO - RELATO DE CASO CLÍNICO

Abstract

The smile plays an essential role in self-esteem, social interaction, and communication, reinforcing its importance as a key element in quality of life. In dentistry, oral rehabilitation transcends purely aesthetic aspects by also encompassing the restoration of masticatory function, phonetics, and joint health to achieve integrated and long-lasting results. Among the most relevant functional parameters, the Vertical Dimension of Occlusion (VDO) stands out due to its direct influence on occlusal stability, muscle health, and joint balance, which are often compromised by factors such as severe tooth wear, loss of posterior teeth, bruxism, and erosive processes. The careful selection of restorative materials is also a fundamental cornerstone in the success of rehabilitative planning, as these materials must provide conservative, aesthetic, and functional solutions that allow for long-term maintenance. Among these, composite resin stands out in restorative treatments for its minimally invasive nature, its ability to mimic natural dental structures, and its feasibility for future repairs—making it particularly valuable for the restoration of anterior teeth. In the present study, a clinical case will be presented involving the rehabilitation of a patient with significant VDO loss and pronounced tooth wear. The adopted rehabilitation protocol included increasing the VDO through direct composite resin restorations in the anterior teeth, semidirect restorations in the posterior teeth, and the fabrication of upper and lower Removable Partial Dentures (RPDs) for the replacement of missing teeth and maintenance of functional stability.