Dr Nicola Scotti | Dentist & Restorative Specialist

Nicola Scotti

Dentist

Dr Nicola Scotti is a dentist who grew up surrounded by teeth and dental models: his father was a dentist himself, and as he puts it, dentistry was simply in his blood. When the time came to choose a course of study, he followed his heart. Some fifteen to twenty years into his professional career, he remains committed to learning about new materials and technologies.

Scotti sees digital dentistry as a powerful tool, but believes the profession will always be defined by what practitioners can do with their hands. Even when ninety per cent of the workflow is digital, it is the remaining ten per cent — manual skill and artistic vision — that determines whether a restoration truly succeeds. Personalisation is central to his approach: restorations shaped and made from materials that suit the individual patient and look natural in the mouth.

Clinical Cases, Chairside

Treatment of a carious lesion with a single posterior shade composite

1 Mar 2022

Case by Dr. Nicola Scotti

When restoring posterior teeth with resin composite, functional aspects such as tight and anatomically correct proximal contacts and a naturally shaped occlusal surface that is wear-resistant and antagonist-friendly are even more important than a perfect optical integration. This is why every dental practitioner should avoid spending a lot of time on shade selection in these cases and focus on the factors that have an impact on the reliability and longevity of the restoration. Great support in accomplishing this task is offered by CLEARFIL MAJESTY™ ES-2 Universal, a resin composite with a single universal shade (U) for the posterior region that eliminates the need for shade taking and selection. At the same time, it offers good marginal adaptation, low shrinkage stress and high wear resistance needed for great long-term results.

Fig. 1. Initial situation with a wide primary carious lesion in the distal aspect of the second premolar.

Fig. 2. Premolar after isolation of the working field with rubber dam, caries excavation and cavity preparation.

Fig. 3. Placement of a sectional matrix and a wedge to optimize the fit. Both are held in place with a separation ring, which increases the interproximal space and hence ensures tight, anatomically correct proximal contacts.

Fig. 4. Build-up of the proximal wall with CLEARFIL MAJESTY™ ES-2 Universal (U shade) following selective enamel etching with phosphoric acid (K-ETCHANT Syringe) and bonding with CLEARFIL™ SE Bond.

Fig. 5. A thin layer of flowable composite (CLEARFIL MAJESTY™ ES FLOW High) applied to the cavity floor to act as a resin coat.

Fig. 6. Restoration completed with CLEARFIL MAJESTY™ ES-2 Universal (U shade). While the universal shade composite blends in very well with the surrounding tooth structure, the natural look is completed by adding a tiny bit of brown tint to the fissure.

Fig. 7. Treatment outcome immediately after rubber dam removal. The proximal contact is tight and the occlusal anatomy well-shaped for the patient’s individual masticatory dynamics. The margin of the restoration is virtually invisible, while the buccal cusp appears lighter due to dehydration of the natural tooth structure.

FINAL SITUATION

Fig. 8. Treatment outcome after two months.

Conclusion

The present case demonstrates that the selected composite is well-suited for simplified restoration procedures in the posterior region. The material handles well, offers the same mechanical properties as other materials from the CLEARFIL MAJESTY™ ES-2 series and blends in harmoniously with the surrounding structures without being too translucent. This way, it is possible to waive the shade-taking process without compromising the treatment outcome. The time saved in this context may be spent on functional aspects – or even on another patient.