The one indispensable trick you need to mask severely stained dentin in posterior restorations

Concealing stains in a restoration is one of those difficult tasks that require the perfect coordination of skill and superior materials. To cover up dark stains, you have to balance the need for opacity with the potential esthetic downsides. But what steps must you take to get to ideal concealment? And what materials can you rely on? Read on to learn the technique that will help you do obtain the best possible results.

Two-step process for masking stained dentin

When the discolourations are severe, you have no choice but to favour a truly opaque material. The greater the opacity, the greater will be your ability to mask unattractive staining. You also have to keep in mind that this opacity affects the translucency of enamel and that the result should look natural. If you’re too heavy-handed with the masking, you might end up with a result that looks artificial. Here’s how you can bypass any issues and create the restoration you envision:

1. Cover discoloured dentin: Apply a thin coating of flowable opaque composite, such as Tetric EvoFlow Dentin, into the preparation.
2. Recreate natural translucency: Pack and shape the cavity with a sculptable composite, such as Tetric EvoCeram.

For deeper cavities (up to 8 mm), you can use a 4-mm bulk-fill material:

1. Cover the discoloured dentin with up to 4 mm of Tetric EvoFlow Bulk Fill for example.
2. Pack and shape the remainder of the cavity with a sculptable composite, such as Tetric EvoCeram .

It really is that simple. The key piece that makes this technique so effective is the application of the more opaque material before applying the actual filling material. Whether you use a bulk-fill material or a conventional composite resin, you’ll find this enables you to retain esthetics and achieve good masking.

Composite materials that ensure restoration excellence

To really attain the success you want, you need to pair it with equally great materials. For the best results, you can trust the composite materials of Tetric Evo-Line. Tetric Evo-Line products can enhance your process because they are capable of ensuring a translucency that matches the value of natural dentin and natural enamel. They ensure both efficiency and esthetics in all posterior restorations.

New guide provides useful tips

Answers to other challenging clinical questions can be found in the practical new guide called “Casebook Tetric EvoFlowables”.

Tetric is a registered trademark of Ivoclar Vivadent AG. The availability of products may vary from country to country.