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Laurence Bohan
Content Writer
Laurence Bohan
Content Writer

Laurence is a copywriter and trained journalist. His passion is creating insightful and educational content for dental professionals of every level. Outside of work, he enjoys watching sport, quizzing and spending time with his family.

Dental Composites for an All-White Smile

The popularity of dental composite fillings shows no sign of slowing as patients continue to demand teeth-coloured restoratives to retain that all-white smile. Personal preference will always be the key factor behind selecting which dental composite brands to use in your practice, but there are many variables that should be considered to help you in finding your favourites. With more choice of dental composites available on the market than ever before, our guide aims to help you in your search to find the perfect materials to suit your requirements.

What is a Dental Composite?

Dental composites, or resin-based composites, are synthetic, hydrophobic materials that combine polymeric matrix with a dispersion of glass, mineral, or resin filler particles and/or short fibres. They are used to restore tooth structure lost through trauma, caries or other diseases. Composites can also be used as cements to cement crowns, bridges and other prosthetics. Composites can be classified as chemically activated (self-cure) resins and photochemically activated (light-cure) resins.

Distinguishing Between Dental Composites

Before jumping into which particulars you should look out for when browsing dental composites, below is a quick reminder of the key differentiators.

Handling Properties of Dental Composites

Perhaps the most important consideration for most dentists when choosing a composite is how it handles. Being comfortable working with a material is crucial to the overall outcome of a restoration.

Wear Resistance

With the amount of mechanical forces and chemical affects that occur in patients mouths, the wear resistance of a composite is central to long-term performance. Posterior restorations are for more likely to show noticeable wear, so it’s important to make sure the composite being used has a similar or lesser wear resistance than teeth. While some research has shown there to be little difference between conventional and nanofilled composites, some has reported superior resistance to wear for nanofilled composites.

Durability

Any high-quality composite intended for anterior and posterior restorations should be able to demonstrate how its fairs against other brands in terms of hardness, compression strength and shrinkage volume. Picking a durable dental composite that has the clinical evidence to show its durability, such as SDR Flow+, should be strongly considered and will make up for any potential outlay with less failed restorations down the line. Selecting the right LED curing light should not be underestimated in this process and is crucial for improved longevity of a restoration.

Translucency

The translucency of a composite is a vital part of delivering an aesthetic restoration that mimics the properties of natural tooth structures. Translucency varies across different composite brands and shades. The colour of the composite resins will have a significant effect on its translucency which is why it’s important to have accurate knowledge regarding the translucency and colour of different composite materials.

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