Placing bulk-fill composites in the creation of esthetic posterior restorations

Tooth 16 showed a fractured mesial marginal ridge that was undermined by caries (Figure 1). Following the placement of a rubber dam, the tooth was prepared and a medium-sized Class-II cavity resulted (Figure 2). In order to achieve optimum adhesion to enamel, it is essential to prepare the enamel margins in such a way that the enamel prisms are obliquely cut. This entails bevelling of the vertical proximal margins and the gingival shoulder.1-5 After a sectional matrix band had been placed (Figure. 3), a dentin/enamel bonding agent was applied. My preferred technique is a combined one,6 consisting of the selective etching of enamel for 30 seconds and the subsequent application of a two-bottle self-etch adhesive (AdheSE®) (Figures 4 and 5). One increment of shade IVA Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill was sufficient to fill the entire cavity (Figure 6). Figure 7 shows the completed restoration after polishing it with Soflex discs and OptraPol® Next Generation.