Australasian Dentist Magazine May June 2021

Category 64 Australasian Dentist R ecently, the Tetric family has undergone a comprehensive revamp. The proven bulk-fill materials Tetric EvoCeram BulkFill and Tetric EvoFlow BulkFill have been replaced. In addition, the light-curing process has been optimised and offers features that are unique on the market. With Tetric Prime, a new universal composite for anterior and posterior restorations has entered the market. This material is distinguished by its optimised and pleasant handling characteristics. The following article highlights the potential of the latest Tetric family on the basis of clinical cases. NEW Tetric Prime Sculptable universal composite *Tetric Prime offers superior handling properties Tetric EvoFlow Universal flowable composite Tetric Power Fill Sculptable 4mm composite for the posterior region Tetric PowerFlow Flowable 4mm composite for the posterior region Table 1 The current Tetric family Universal composites are suitable for the largest range of indications in restorative dentistry. They can be used in the posterior region without restriction and they are also suitable for many anterior indications. The use of a composite specifically designed for anterior applications is only necessary in a limited number of cases and requires a great deal of experience and skill (and also luck, to be honest) to achieve a clinically relevant improvement over a universal composite. It is therefore absolutely realistic to expect that you can get through your daily work using just one universal composite. It is true that universal composites cover the widest range of indications, yet it would be desirable if the layering technique for the posterior region could be simplified. Universal composites match the natural teeth in terms of translucency, and they are available in a wide array of shades, including dark shades. Given these properties, they are limited to a thickness of 2mm per increment. In contrast, bulk fill composites can be cured in increments of 4mm. However, they are available in fewer shades and have a somewhat higher translucency than universal composites. This means that an adequate shade match with the natural tooth structure may not be achieved in some cases. I consider this to be completely irrelevant for Class I and II restorations in the posterior region. Only in aesthetically more sensitive cases, Bulk fill and universal composites – a clinical classification based on the Tetric family clinical By Dr med. dent. Markus Lenhard Fig. 1 Existing restorations and habit-induced fractures at the incisal edges of the central incisors. Fig. 3 Selective enamel etching with phosphoric acid gel for 15 s. Fig. 5 Restoring the proximal cavities and incisal edges step by step using Tetric Prime A3.5. Fig. 2 Situation after removal of the restorations. Fig. 4 Active application of the universal adhesive (Adhese Universal) for 20 s. Fig. 6 Situation immediately after the treatment. Typically, the restorations appear to be too dark and translucent immediately after the treatment because the tooth structure has become desiccated and therefore looks brighter than it normally would. Fig. 7 Completed restoration with rehydrated tooth structure. The transitions between the tooth structure and restoration are only noticeable under significant magnification and they are clinically irrelevant.