Food packs

Last week I made an empirical observation about sensitivity being related to whether a dentist etched when doing posterior class 1 and class 2 restorations.

My observation was that not every dentist who etches gets sensitivity but virtually every dentist who gets sensitivity etches.

My next observation is on food packs. Based on having seen several dozen practices I can say with confidence that food packs with posterior class 2 restorations occur much more frequently with dentists who use tofflemire matrix bands compared to sectionals.

Now, before you get all defensive about your beloved tofflemire matrix bands I want to stress one thing. They don't guarantee an open contact point, all they do is tip the odds in that direction. Much more so than sectionals.

Sectionals were designed to specifically deal with the problem open contacts. If there is a way to tilt the odds in your favour why wouldn't you? Open contact points are annoying to the patient and often lead to secondary decay.

If you want to eliminate open contacts almost entirely I recommend a great product called Contact + Gold. You can get it from Orien Dental Supplies. It's a neat device that enables you to push tightly on the contact point as the composite sets.

[Please note: I get nothing from Orien Dental Supplies for recommending this product.]