Improved Delivery for Flowable Composites
Inside Dentistry provides the latest in endodontics, implantology, periodontics, and more, with in-depth articles, expert videos, and top industry insights.
June 1, 2020
Volume 16, Issue 6, June 2020
Page(s): p. 38
Flowable composites have been available for more than 20 years, and as a product category, they are considered to be very successful for dental practices. Their formulations are key to solving several clinical problems. For example, flowable composites facilitate precise composite placement into cavity preparations. They simplify the process of intimately adapting the composite resin to the tooth structure.
"I've never practiced dentistry without flowable composites. They're part of what I do every day," says Amanda Seay, DDS. "In dental school, we were taught to always lay down a flowable layer first in the proximal box. These materials have always been a part of my armamentarium for both anterior and posterior restorations."
Seay, who maintains a private practice in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, recently spoke with Product Talk about her use of 3M™ Filtek™ Supreme Flowable Restorative and 3M™ Filtek™ Bulk Fill Flowable Restorative. These two restorative options both offer excellent adaptation, polish retention, and wear resistance, as well as other versatile properties demonstrated by Filtek brand composites. Now, for even greater handling, they feature a redesigned ergonomic syringe that improves control during material placement.
Seay confirms that syringe design is essential. "The size of the syringe in your hands matters, but the shape and contour are even more important," she explains. "If you compare the syringes from other companies to this new design, this one is sometimes a little larger, but the design is impressive."
As an example, Seay cites the redesigned finger plate, which is triangular with a depression. "With this finger rest, I feel I have good control," she says. "Most other plates are a small round knob that's not very definitive. Your finger can easily slip off it. Because I use my thumb, not the pad of my hand, this plate has been a real improvement. I have a better sense of speed and control. It's stable any way that you grip it."
In addition, the company redesigned the tip of the syringe. As the material is ex-pressed, bubbles are virtually nonexistent, and the tip of the cannula can easily be bent by hand without kinking when clinicians want a sharper angle for preparations that are difficult to access.
"Sometimes, with other syringes, when you're done with a procedure, excess material continues to come out of the tip," Seay says. "But that doesn't happen with this design. There's no waste once you're done extruding the material."
Finally, Seay says that her favorite part of the new design is the color coding. "The plunger has a color-coded part that shows you exactly how much material is in the syringe. That I really like-it's extremely helpful."
Because the new ergonomic syringe is available for both Filtek Supreme Flowable Restorative and Filtek Bulk Fill Flowable Restorative, whichever product clinicians require for a restoration, they can take advantage of this enhanced delivery system.
Amanda Seay, DDS, the restorative section editor for Inside Dentistry, is an accredited fellow and board member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and a clinical instructor at the Kois Center in Seattle, Washington. She maintains a private practice in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
New syringe is available for both 3M Filtek Supreme Flowable Restorative and 3M Filtek Bulk Fill Flowable Restorative
Virtually no bubbles or material "run-on" during dispensing gives the user better control with less waste
Triangular finger plate and plunger make it quick and easy to personalize your grip, and the easy-to-bend cannula allows for better access without kinking
The blue or green syringe barrel indicates the volume of remaining material; when the syringe is empty, only the white plunger shows
The material is versatile and dependable, demonstrating excellent adaptation, polish retention, and wear resistance
To hear more from Seay about the benefits of using 3M Filtek Supreme Flowable Restorative, watch the entire Product Talk discussion online at: www.insidedentistry.net/go/product-talk-s5-e1
For more information, contact:
3M Oral Care
3M.com/dental
800-634-2249
