Dr Jean van Lierop

24/04/2026

“Who said resin can’t be sexy?”

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

This case was a great reminder of just how powerful a simple, well-executed approach can be.

Young patient, aesthetic concerns, but a very clear brief: keep it conservative. So we went fully additive with a resin injection moulding workflow — no prep, no compromise, just building on what was already there.

One concept that really guided this case was intentional overdesign of anatomy. When you’re working through multiple steps — index, injection, finishing — you will lose a bit of detail along the way. If you start with “just enough,” you often end up with underwhelming anatomy. By slightly exaggerating the design upfront, you land up with a final result that still has crisp, natural-looking morphology.

Material-wise, we kept it beautifully simple:
A single-shade flowable (Tokuyama Palfique Universal) — and honestly, the colour blending did all the heavy lifting. No layering, no complexity, just letting the material and planning do their job.

Thank you .dental for your fabulous design work (As always!!!)

Clean. Conservative. Predictable. And yes… a little bit sexy.

20/04/2026

When “healthy habits” start destroying teeth… 🍋

Want to learn the full protocol then join us in May for in dept hands on training

This case of severe erosive wear was driven by long-term lemon water use.

What looks like simple wear is actually functional:
➡️ Loss of posterior anatomy
➡️ Flattened occlusal scheme
➡️ Shift toward a horizontal chewing pattern

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The key move? Rebuild anatomy.

Instead of chasing VDO, we focused on restoring shape:

✔️ Cusp–fossa relationships
✔️ Functional inclines
✔️ Guidance

Classic findings (1996) support this approach:
➡️ More stable “teardrop” chewing cycle
➡️ Reduced muscle activity
➡️ Improved efficiency and bite force
➡️ More predictable mandibular movements

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Ex*****on: Injection moulding with resin

Once designed by my incredible laboratory .dental we went fully additive.

Why resin still makes sense (2021 data):
• ~88.6% survival at 5.5 years (94.8% at 3.5 years)
• Failures mostly non-catastrophic and repairable

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Clinical takeaways

• Diet often drives wear more than we think
• “Bite collapse” is usually anatomy collapse
• Restore shape first, function follows

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Want to learn the full protocol?

This case followed occlusal principles aligned with where I’ll be presenting a deep dive on this exact workflow — from diagnosis to ex*****on using injection moulding.

If you want to get hands-on with these protocols, come join us in May

.europe.nv

15/02/2026

22/11/2025

Join us for the first ever South African Sports Dentistry Conference, hosted by the South African Sports Dentistry Association, on 5 December 2025 at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport in Stellenbosch. 

I’ll be talking about: “Dental Erosion – From Diagnosis to Treatment”
This is a fantastic opportunity to explore how we, as clinicians, can identify, manage and prevent dental erosion — from the elite athlete to the weekend warriors.

To find out more and to register, hop over to

05/07/2025

Combining whitening, resin and ceramic for Conservative Aesthetic Rehabilitation

This patient presented with concerns about discoloured anterior teeth and dissatisfaction with existing ceramic crowns on the canines. His goal? A fresher, more natural-looking smile — and renewed confidence.

We opted for a conservative, minimally invasive approach:
✅ whitening
✅Replacing the existing ceramic on the canines
✅ Using direct resin veneers on the remaining four anterior teeth

To ensure precision, we used a palatal stent to guide the shape and form of the composite build-ups. This gave us predictable control over the palatal architecture, allowing us to focus on fine details and harmony in the final restorations.

When working with composite, function matters. We spent time ensuring the restorations respected the patient’s functional envelope and occlusal scheme — protecting the material and maintaining long-term integrity.

💡 Want to dive deeper into techniques like this?
In Module 5 of the RAA Restorative Diploma, coming this August and September, we’ll explore in detail how resin can be used predictably and beautifully to manage aesthetic concerns, close spaces, rebuild worn teeth, and complement ceramic restorations in a conservative, layered treatment plan.

We’ll cover:
🔹 Stent-guided composite placement
🔹 Functional layering and occlusion
🔹 Polishing protocols for longevity
🔹 Case planning and communication

This case is a great example of how direct resin, when used correctly, remains one of the most powerful tools in modern restorative dentistry.

28/06/2025

🦷 Replacing Old Work, Restoring with Purpose
This case was a powerful reminder of the challenges—and opportunities—that come with redoing old restorative work.

Our lovely patient presented with a mix of failing veneers and crowns. Unfortunately, the original preparations were very aggressive, leaving minimal enamel and making adhesive bonding far more complex. In cases like these, it’s critical to rethink material choices and bonding strategies to ensure longevity.

💡 At the same time, we addressed significant lower arch wear using resin injection moulding—a predictable, additive approach that allowed us to rebuild function and aesthetics conservatively.

👄 We also used our “Smile Test Run” concept—but this time, the provisional restorations were the test. After placing the temps, we brought the patient back 4 days later to evaluate function, phonetics, and aesthetics, and made a few small refinements before finalising.

An incredibly rewarding case with valuable lessons on managing difficult bonding scenarios, sequencing treatment, and using provisionals as a powerful diagnostic tool.

20/06/2025

Rebuilding Anterior Guidance in a Young Patient
Conservative, Functional, and Protective

This young patient presented with severe horizontal wear and a complete loss of anterior guidance — an uncommon but significant finding at such an early age.

Given the patient’s age, our primary focus was preserving tooth structure while restoring functional guidance.
🔹 We opted for a fully additive resin approach — no aggressive prepping, just smart, minimal intervention.
🔹 Restoring guidance meant treating both upper and lower arches, as horizontal wear often affects both.
🔹 We worked closely with our lab to digitally plan the case and determine how to level the arches and reintroduce anterior guidance with precision.

🎯 This case is a reminder:
When treating horizontal wear, planning is everything — especially when you aim to be conservative.
Anterior guidance doesn’t just protect teeth — it protects the system.

📸 Swipe to see the case overview, planning process, and functional outcome.

13/06/2025

A Deserved Smile, Rebuilt with Purpose 🦷✨

This beautiful case reminds us that it’s never too late to restore not only a smile—but dignity, function, and quality of life.

Our patient, an elderly woman with a history of extensive wear and damaged restorations, came to us hoping for more than just dental work—she wanted to feel confident again.

We began with a comprehensive digital planning process, carefully mapping out her occlusion, function, and esthetic goals.
🧠 This included opening the vertical dimension to create space for minimally invasive restorations—without compromising on longevity.

Our treatment approach blended resin and ceramic restorations, giving us the flexibility to be both conservative and durable.
We also replaced her aging implant crowns, integrating them seamlessly into the final design.

The result? A full-mouth rehabilitation that respects biology, restores function, and most importantly—brings joy back to the smile of someone who truly deserves it.

📍Planned with purpose. Restored with care.

06/06/2025

Rehab cases like this remind me why I love this work.
This was a full smile rehabilitation that required careful planning at every level — and offered great learning along the way.

We started with digital planning to visualise tooth position, occlusion, and aesthetics. A smile test drive gave us the chance to evaluate esthetics and phonetics in function — and helped guide patient expectations and trust.

One of the key turning points was realising we needed to reorganise the occlusion — the original bite wasn’t going to support the new restorative design or long-term function. With the new occlusal scheme in place, we moved to final Emax ceramic restorations — conservative, bonded, and functional.

This case reinforced how essential the diagnostic phase is — not just in getting to the right endpoint, but in making the journey smoother and more predictable for everyone involved.

31/05/2025

Make implant dentistry part of your practice with the ITI Foundation Level curriculum.

The ITI Foundation Level course is the first truly blended-learning implant certification course in Southern Africa. Combining face-to-face meetings and hands-on training with access to more than 800 online learning modules, videos and congress meetings in a dedicated online classroom, we have developed a program that will set you up for your implant dentistry journey.

For more information and how to register go to https://itiza.org/courses/iti-foundation-level/
or visit our socials

31/05/2025

The RAA is South Africa’s FIRST dedicated postgraduate program in restorative dentistry, founded by Dr. Mark Bowes and Dr. Jean Van Lierop.
We are thrilled to announce that our team is GROWING!

Please welcome our new lecturers:
- Dr. Corne Smith
- Dr. Martin Vorster
- Dr. Andrew Ellis
- Dr. Evert Burger
- Dr. Dave Huson
- Dr. Alexander Abedián-Rawháni

What We Offer:
- Diploma in Restorative & Aesthetic
Dentistry (accredited by EduQual UK)
- Additional courses designed to enhance your skills in various areas of dentistry, including 3D printing
- Emphasis on comprehensive restorative workflows, digital dentistry, and hands-on training
- Open to dentists from South Africa, across Africa, and globally

Stay tuned for our online material coming soon!