Class II’s are only easy when they are small (but not too small), supragingival, easily accessible with straight-forward anatomy.

In other words, about 1% of the Class IIs we encounter – because the vast majority I see are subgingival, wide, with awkward root concavities and tricky access.

I went from using sectional matrices 97% of the time to now just using them 30% of the time – this is thanks to a circumferential matrix I started to use last year which is a game changer.

I now do not need to use a wedge in most scenarios (something I used to think was a crime!) and have been using the ‘contact opening technique’.

Meet Dr Sunny Sadana, who has brought the Greater Curve system to the UK and taught me a lot about efficiency with direct restorations.

We also discuss fee-setting and patient communication – this part of the video is only available for those on our Protrusive Guidance network.

Protrusive Dental Pearl 

Pre-wedging; use this technique before beginning any restorative work on the tooth you are working on, this will allow a greater field of view to work in. It also helps suppress the papilla to get better access to the caries. This can all be achieved by numbing the area first and wedging with adequate enough pressure for there to be separation. It also reduced iatrogenic damage and is also worthwhile considering using a wedge-guard/fender wedge.

Check out the DRE Composite Course

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If you liked this episode, you will also like PDP104 Back to Back Class II Secrets (Sectional Matrix Troubleshooting)