A practical, predictable, and reliable method to select shades for direct resin composite restorations.

Objective: This article describes a practical, predictable, and reliable method to select shades for direct composite restorations using custom shade guides made of resin composite at hand using a process of elimination CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Esthetics in direct resin composite restorations depends on the clinician's ability to reproduce the shape and shade of natural teeth, thus appropriate shade selection is a must. This method presented in this article simplifies the process of shade selection for direct resin composite restorations. The use of custom shades tabs made of commecially available resin composites, its arrangment and a process of elimination of tabs during shade selection allows the practitioner to obtain the best possible resin composite shade available for every case.

A systematic approach to contouring and polishing anterior resin composite restorations: A checklist manifesto.

Purpose: This article presents a systematic, step-by-step checklist approach to be used for contouring and polishing anterior resin composite restorations to achieve maximum esthetics efficiently.

Clinical Considerations: This checklist is intended to be used to take the guesswork out and streamline the process to predictably, practically, and repeatedly contour and polish anterior resin composite restorations. The practitioner's knowledge of basic dental anatomy combined with this step-by-step checklist facilitates identifying and modifying the final restoration to an anatomically correct form, thus satisfying the most esthetically demanding patients.

Bulk-fill materials: simplify restorations, reduce chairtime.

Newer bulk-fill composite materials are being developed for preparation depths of up to 5 mm in an effort to simplify and improve placement of direct composite posterior restorations. Depth of cure for any dental composite is a critical issue, and especially so for bulk-fill composites. This article discusses factors involved in determining adequate depth of cure.

Composite restorations: assembling the proper armamentarium.

Composite resin restorations are performed daily in virtually every dental office in America. Between composite materials, matrix systems, and curing lights, creating a posterior contact on a Class II restoration can be a challenging situation unless the right armamentarium is used.

Versatile composite resins simplifying the practice of restorative dentistry.

After decades of technical development and refinement, composite resins continue to simplify the practice of restorative dentistry, offering clinicians versatility, predictability, and enhanced physical properties. With a wide range of products available today, composite resins are a reliable, conservative, multi-functional restorative material option. As manufacturers strive to improve such properties as compression strength, flexural strength, elastic modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion, water sorption, and wear resistance, several classification systems of composite resins have been developed.

Composite resin: a versatile, multi-purpose restorative material.

Introduced more than some 50 years ago, composite resin technology has simplified the manner in which clinicians practice restorative dentistry, offering greater predictability and improved physical properties. Decades of material science and laboratory development along with clinical trials in human subjects have culminated in composite resin being validated as a reliable, multifunctional restorative material. With a wide range of composite resins available today, clinicians can benefit from knowing the infrastructure of a given material in order to determine which type will work best in a particular clinical situation.