The dental composite is one of the most widely used materials in clinics today dentistry, however, choosing can be confusing. It is a highly versatile material that is used for multiple purposes, including the restoration of class III, IV and V cavities in anterior teeth, class I, II and V cavities in posterior teeth, as well as corrections of anomalies in shape, position and color, among others. There are also composites with different fluidity for other more specific uses and, in addition, others of more modern development, which you can apply in a block without the need to polymerize in layers. In this article we will talk about all types of dental composites so that you can always make the right choice in each of your clinical cases. For practical purposes, we will first classify them according to their use and then by the size of their filler particles. Become an expert and don't miss any detail!
Classification of dental composites according to their use
Anterior dental composites
The dental composites used in the anterior sector must be highly aesthetic materials, capable of natural results. To achieve this, we must take into account a series of characteristics, such as the surface texture (it must be as similar as possible to enamel), which must reflect light in the same way natural enamel does.
Opalescence and fluorescence are also important. The first is an optical phenomenon that means that when white light falls on the vestibular surface of the tooth, the enamel reflects blue and violet wavelengths; and otherwise, when the light comes from the palatal area, the enamel reflects an orange color. Just as opalescence is a phenomenon inherent to enamel, fluorescence is inherent to dentin and consists of the ability to absorb non-visible light and emit it at a visible wavelength, in such a way that when When ultraviolet light reflects off the teeth, they emit a bluish-white light. Therefore, dental composites from the anterior sector must be able to simulate these optical effects in order to approach the natural appearance of the teeth.
Amaris Voco Esthetic Composite Kit
Voco's Amaris composite is a faithful representative of this highly aesthetic category, its superior properties will help you achieve high-quality restorations in the anterior sector.
- Highly aesthetic light-curing composite.
- Natural fluorescence.
- High color stability.
- Indicated for class III, IV and V anterior aesthetic restorations.
- Indicated for direct and indirect composite veneers in the anterior sector.
Posterior dental composites
The posterior dental composites, instead of prioritizing dental aesthetics, like those previously mentioned, prioritize resistance to masticatory forces. This does not mean that they completely abandon aesthetics, though. Today, manufacturers of dental products have developed highly sophisticated materials that can provide both qualities: resistance and aesthetics. The more posterior the restoration is located, the greater the wear on the composite produced by masticatory forces, for which reason hybrid resins seem to be the ideal material for this type of restoration.
3M Filtek P60 Composite Kit
The 3M P60 kit is probably one of the best representatives of the composites in the previous sector, since it is very resistant and has minimal polymerization shrinkage.
- It is a microhybrid composite.
- Only 20 seconds are needed to cure a 2.5 mm increment.
- Specially designed for posterior restorations.
- Low polymerization shrinkage.
- Three shades available: A3, B2 and C2.
Universal dental composites
The universal composites are those used in the restoration of both anterior and posterior teeth, They are those materials that in a certain way combine the properties of previous and subsequent composites. These types of materials usually have fewer shades of color, some have all different shades and others are of a single shade, the so-called one-shade composites that have the ability to blend in with any tooth shade. There are also universal bulk fill composites, which we will see in detail later. In general, universal composites make handling easier, as they can be used anteriorly and posteriorly with a variety of shades that provide excellent esthetics. Of course, if your expectations are higher, it is always better to use aesthetic composites for the anterior sector.
Vidu Microhybrid Universal Composite
Vidu's microhybrid universal composite is a first-rate restorative material, with an inorganic load of 76%, it presents great hardness and resistance to abrasion.
- Opalescence and fluorescence qualities.
- Microhybrid and ideal for direct restorations.
- Low polymerization shrinkage.
- Available in 12 shades.
- Easy to model, does not adhere to instruments.
Flowable dental composites
The fluid dental composites or also called flow or low-viscosity composites, were introduced into the market at the end of 1996 and to date have a long list of clinical applications, including pit and fissure sealant. Its mechanical properties are equivalent to only 60-90% of conventional composites, however they are very useful in minimally invasive dental techniques.
Ivoclar Tetric EVOFlow Flowable Composite
Tetric EVOFlow flowable composite is one of the best-selling flow in Europe and is not surprising given its great versatility and also has a radiopacity greater than 360%.
- Indicated for small cavities such as class V restorations.
- Can be used as a lining in class I and II cavities.
- Combines 3 types of particles: nano-fillers, nano chromatic pigments and nano modifier.
- Highly stable composite.
- High gloss, smooth and smooth surfaces.
Bulk Fill dental composites
This type of Bulk Fill dental composites is a relatively recent development and refers to composites that can be applied in increments of 4 to 5 mm with a monobloc technique or one layer without having limitations on the degree of polymerization, with the aim of facilitating the process, reducing the effect of polymerization contraction of composites and avoid voids between resin increments.
3M Filtek One Bulk Fill Composite
With 3M Filtek One Bulk Fill Composite you can cure layers up to 5 mm. with total safety and improved aesthetics.
- Nanofiller composite.
- It has AFM and AUDMA Monomers that manage to reduce polymerization contraction and subsequent stress.
- Easy to adapt and model.
- Available in 5 shades: A1, A2, A3, B1 and C2.
- Wide variety of applications.
Classification of composites according to the size of their filler particles
Dental composites currently consist of three phases:
- Organic phase: resin matrix, is the one that light-cures with light.
- Dispersed phase: it is the filler that is embedded in the resin matrix. It is the phase responsible for giving the composites properties of increasing tensile strength, wear resistance, hardness, elastic modulus, and decreasing polymerization contraction of the restoration. They are usually filled with fine glass, quartz, or silica.
- Interfacial phase: these are the agents that bind the matrix with the filler.
According to this, we can classify composites according to the size of their filler particles into:
Image: 1. Macrofill / 2. Microfill / 3. Hybrid / 4. Nanofill / 5. Nanocluster 1µm TPP - Nanofill 2 - 20 mn / 6. Hybrid 1µm ТРР
Microfilling Composites
The microfilled composites have a particle size of 0.02 to 0.04 microns , its small particles, together with its natural translucency, provide a high degree of polishing, which is why they are dental composites of exceptional aesthetics. These microfilling composites are usually used in the anterior sector to take advantage of their aesthetic properties and because their resistance properties do not allow them to resist the masticatory forces of the anterior sector.
Hybrid or microhybrid composites
The hybrid or microhybrid composites mix different particle sizes in their composition. The objective of this mixture is to give the composite a bit of the best of each, with small particles that are easy to polish and handle and large particles that are much more resistant. The difficulty with this mixture is the irregular wear over time, the smallest ones wear out first and the largest ones come out of the matrix, leaving spaces that look like a poorly polished surface, which is why it is not the best aesthetically speaking.
Nanohybrid Composites
The nanohybrid composites are possibly the most widely used today, they are composed of a mixture of nanoparticles and particles of conventional size. Their goal is also to achieve a combination of aesthetics and resistance, but they achieve it better than hybrids, thanks to the presence of nanoparticles that provide a higher level of polishing and a very natural translucency. A useful piece of advice is to look at the percentage of nanoparticles present in the composite formulation, when the percentage is very low it is possible that this is detrimental to the quality of the results.
Dental nanoresins
The nanoresins are a current development in dental composites. It is the material that most resembles the structure of the tooth in its natural appearance and this makes sense, since teeth naturally have a nanostructure of hydroxyapatite nanocrystals. It is possible that these composites have particles of the same size and shape because they are manufactured from the bottom up, so their wear is also homogeneous. This advanced technology allows nanoparticles to fuse with nanoclusters that act as larger particles in order to improve their filler load, in turn improving their strength properties and maintaining their high aesthetic properties. They are composites that also have wonderful translucency and opalescence properties.
Now that you know everything about composites and their different technologies, your choice will be easier. We remind you that at Dentaltix you can find dental composites for all clinical uses with the latest technologies available so that your restorations always exceed all expectations. Take a look!
In conclusion, restorative dental materials technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, and keeping an eye on new technological advances is key to providing patients with high-quality restorations. When choosing the most appropriate dental composite for each case, it is convenient to take into account the size of the particles to anticipate the expectations that want to be achieved, today, thanks to technology we should not always rule out aesthetics or resistance, in some advanced materials, we can have it all.
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