Diastema Closure — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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EasyRestorative DentistryDiastema ClosureORE Part 1

A 25-year-old patient has completed orthodontic treatment but has a residual midline diastema of 2 mm between the upper central incisors. What is the most conservative restorative approach to close this gap?

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Correct answer: C — Direct composite bonding to the mesial surfaces of both central incisors

Explanation lettering: C = shown as A · D = shown as B · A = shown as C · E = shown as D · B = shown as E

Direct composite bonding (A) is the most conservative approach for a small residual diastema after completed orthodontic treatment. It requires no tooth preparation, is reversible, preserves healthy tooth structure, and is explicitly documented as 'practical and conservative' in the literature. Long-term studies show 84.6% survival at 5 years and >90% excellent or good clinical quality. Porcelain veneers (B) require selective tooth preparation and are more invasive. Full crowns (C) are unnecessarily destructive. Extraction (D) is unethical for healthy teeth. Spontaneous closure (E) does not occur post-ortho. The key discriminator is the word 'residual' and completion of orthodontics: at this stage, direct bonding is the evidence-based gold standard for minimal intervention in healthy dentition.

Reference: Wolff D, Schach C, Kraus T, Pritsch M. Recontouring teeth and closing diastemas with direct composite buildups: a 5-year follow-up. J Prosthet Dent. 2013;109(6):362–367. doi:10.1016/S0022-3913(13)60108-X. Available at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23954577/