In challenging class II restoration cases, the use of good-quality products is key to a successful outcome. Here, Lee Tuczemskyi sets out the further benefits of using a family of products that have been specifically developed together
It’s an open secret that products which have been developed specifically as part of a family of co-dependant parts will always work best with each other.
A well-known example of this is Apple’s ‘ecosystem’ of devices and software whose full range of features can only be enjoyed if you own a Mac, an iPhone and/or an iPad, have an iCloud account etc and which, although compatible with other technology, will only work in complete harmony with each other. Or for a simpler analogy, think of the grief your printer gives you if you try to use a cheaper, ‘compatible’ toner!
No matter how interchangeable products from different manufacturers claim to be, you can only achieve complete synergy amongst those that have been developed and tested in the same laboratory and honed to perfection together.
The same principle applies in the complex area of class II restorations.
A system to overcome all challenges
In order to achieve a reliable, durable and aesthetic restoration, clinicians require a class II restorative system that can overcome all the challenges they might encounter:
Maintaining the natural tooth shape – in a 2017 Dentsply Sirona survey of UK dentists conducted by Dentsply Sirona, 59% rated contact point creation as their primary concern with class II restorations. A sectional matrix like Dentsply Sirona’s Palodent V3 enables clinicians to attain a tight gingival seal and recreate the natural contours of the tooth thus recreating the correct interproximal contact.
A reliable bond – Dentsply Sirona’s universal prime & bond active adhesive can be depended upon to achieve full coverage of the proximal box even in over-wet or over-dry conditions. Its low viscosity enables it to penetrate into all the cracks and fissures, whilst its low film thickness means it actively self-levels and prevents pooling in the proximal box.
Adaptation and curing – SDR Flow+ (smart dentine replacement) adapts well to the cavity floor and the Palodent V3 matrix band. It self-levels to attain full coverage. The use of a bulk fill composite such as SDR Flow+ (up to 4mm at a time) also speeds up the class II restoration procedure as it removes the need for incremental filling. Combined with a Smartlight Focus curing light, which delivers light energy uniformly down to greater depths, the bulk fill material will be sufficiently cured to avoid adhesive failure and micro-leakage.
A highly polishable, easy-to-handle capping composite – Dentsply Sirona’s Ceram.x Universal is a nano-ceramic composite featuring innovative Sphere Tec technology, which adapts efficiently to the cavity walls and the SDR layer beneath. The unique sub-micron particles in Ceram.x Universal give it superb polishability and aesthetics and excellent wear resistance, leading to fast polishing and extra gloss in the finished restoration. As about 14% of the total class II restoration procedure is spent on finishing and polishing, a material with excellent adaptability and fast polishing increases the efficiency of the class II procedure.
A complete end-to-end solution
The desire for a ‘systems approach’ to restorative dentistry has led manufacturers to create sequential equipment and materials that work together to produce consistently positive outcomes. Dentsply Sirona Restorative provides the only complete end-to-end solution with unmatched adaptation at each critical step of a class II restoration for better, more efficient clinical results. Good news to the 90% of UK dentists who believe that being successful at class II restorations is a critical part of their overall practice being successful!
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