Creating Dental Anatomy in Composite

One of my goals with composite restorations is to do as much of the forming and shaping prior to picking up a curing light as I can. The material is very sculptable before it is cured and access tot he surface of the tooth is easier with hand instruments versus rotary. Once I have placed all of the composite and have a dense fill, I remove as much of the excess sitting above the final occlusal surface as I can. With this step accomplished I turn my attention to creating the occlusal anatomy.

My OptraSculpt disposable tips are the perfect tool for this. The shapes allow me to create incline planes, occlusal grooves and the curve of the marginal ridges into the occlusal embrasures. This process often removes and shapes the composite. My assistant holds a two by two that has been moistened with rubbing alcohol to remove the excess off the end of the instrument. I can place a different shape on each end of the instrument, or interchange them as I need them.

Using a series of disposable tips for my composite instruments grants me the ability to work without the composite sticking, reduce the necessity for meticulous management of expensive instruments with frequent need for replacement and resist the desire to use dentin adhesive or an unfilled resin on the instrument to reduce sticking.