by For almost a year now, Dr. Michael Sesemann and his team have been using what he calls a “revolutionary advancement in posterior dentistry”. “Thanks to Ivoclar Vivadent’s Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill composite, we have changed the way we do things and I can tell you emphatically that we’ll never turn back!”
This protocol was created to streamline the posterior composite placement procedure, to offer an option that is easier to apply and saves a significant amount of time while maintaining the integrity of the composite restoration. According to Dr. Sesemann, it gives him the quality esthetics he wants along with the metrics that are so important to a posterior composite—durability, minimal shrinkage, good marginal adaptation and easy placement.
Based on numerous requests from dentists over the years, Ivoclar Vivadent began researching the viability of a one-material bulk fill technique almost seven years ago. The goal was to create a consistently reliable, easy to use composite filling material for use in Class II posterior restorations. After a lengthy research and development process, the team came up with what is now Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill – a material that incorporates a light initiator that allows it to fill cavity preparations up to 4 mm in one layer applications, and be sculpted and cured without the need for a capping layer. This polymerization booster ensures the complete curing of 4 mm thick increments in 10 seconds, and the material’s Shrinkage Stress Reliever decreases overall shrinkage volume experienced during polymerization. According to Dr. Sesemann, using this treatment protocol has all but eliminated the dreaded white line at the margin as well as shrinkage that might lead to cracks, gaps, leakage or post-operative sensitivity.
At Efficiency in Group Practice, we’re always on the lookout for products, techniques or a combination of the two that accomplish your goals of saving time, saving money, making life easier for you and your team while producing excellent results for your patients.
For Dr. Sesemann and his team, the biggest benefits Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill has brought to his restorations are reduced shrinkage and adaptability. “It adapts well and it’s consistent. In many cases, we can fill up a restoration, sculpt the material and cure it without any further preparations. We used to use a fourth generation bonding material to create a strong hybrid layer to avoid post-op sensitivity, but with Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill we can use total etch or selective etch bonding agents which saves us a lot of time.
It also takes less time to cure and place the composite. After using it for almost a year, I can safely say that it takes us a good 30 percent less time than it used to in order to complete a direct posterior composite. That’s a huge savings. Equally important, we haven’t had a single patient complain about post-op sensitivity.”
To date, the team at Ivoclar Vivadent has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from many of the clinicians who have used Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill. They put the product in the hands of top cosmetic dentists, such as Dr. Sesemann, and many of them are saying it has exceeded their expectations. They’re happy with the esthetics, the marginal integrity, how easy it is to use and how well it blends.
“I’m very particular,” Dr. Sesemann said. “I have a higher end cosmetic practice and my patients generally have high expectations. The results we achieve are excellent so I feel confident in saying that my team, my patients and I all win.”
