Today, I want to talk to my fellow dentists and team members about a shift I am currently seeing in dentistry -- and I think it's a much-needed shift.
David Rice, DDS.For far too long, we have tried to treat composite like amalgam. We have tried to plug it and condense it. There's just one big problem with that. Composite isn't supposed to be a condensable material. We need to take the time to think about and understand how composite was truly designed to function.
With that in mind, let's look at composite from another angle and with another usage. Injection molding composite is a trend that is rising in the dental industry. The concept behind this is simple. Dental professionals warm the composite in a composite warmer to about 155° F. With this action, we can maximize its physical properties when we heat it, and it becomes more fluid. The warming will allow the composite to flow from the composite gun much more easily and, rather than trying to plug the composite, we can backfill a restoration.
The company behind this is Bioclear. With this technology, we maximize the mylar effect and matrixing, which we know is the most ideal composite surface. We maximize the properties of the materials as well.
Using this process, we are trying to create a monolithic composite restoration much like we do in ceramics today. We know that that is the strongest restoration we can have, and it has the best interface between natural tooth structure and artificial material.
As a system, Bioclear works with just one company, 3M. Click on the video below to learn more about this, more of my thoughts on injection-molding composite, and why this is something that has become a big part of my practice.
