,When proper protocols are used, these flexible discs send patients off with high-luster composite restorations, ,
,About 15 years ago, Dr. Taiseer Sulaiman realized he needed a finishing and polishing system that allowed him to properly contour angle lines and margins in his composite restorations. He found the solution in 3M Sof-Lex finishing and polishing discs., ,The discs come in four different grits—coarse, fine, medium, and superfine—and this presents a great advantage, Dr. Sulaiman said. The coarse and medium grits can be used for reshaping and redesigning the composite, while the fine and superfine grits provide a nice gloss. They also come in different diameters, with the smaller grit able to access areas that the larger versions cannot. And then there’s the flexibility and durability, two characteristics that Dr. Sulaiman has found to be impressive., ,“The discs are more resistant to moisture, so that helps with durability. It gets you through the process without having to switch out many discs,” said Dr. Sulaiman, who is an Associate Professor in the Division of Comprehensive Oral Health at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry. “And because the grits are so flexible, they don’t break on bending. You can put pressure on the discs without damaging them.”, ,When resin-based composites first became mainstream, there was uncertainty surrounding the best methods to properly finish and polish restorations. Research at the time was very limited, according to Dr. Sulaiman, himself a clinician and researcher who is passionate about bridging the gap between dental research and clinical application. Any research that had been published was complex, making it difficult to put into practice. Experts have their own ways of teaching methodology for finishing and polishing composites, adding to the confusion., ,Although there is now more research available and awareness of the esthetic issues that can result from not properly finishing and polishing a restoration, many dentists still bypass some of the steps involved because it can be a time-consuming process. The steps must be followed to give patients the best possible outcome., ,“If we don’t complete this procedure correctly, it will shorten the esthetic durability of the composite restoration,” Dr. Sulaiman said. “An unproperly finished composite can acquire stain and discoloration very quickly. If that happens in the esthetic area, that’s unpleasant to the patient, and it will ultimately come back to the clinician to have to remake or replace the restoration.”, ,Because of the different grits and diameters, combined with the flexibility and durability they offer, 3M Sof-Lex discs make the finishing and polishing process more efficient. Those who follow proper finishing and polishing procedures with nanofilled composite resins, such as 3M Filtek Supreme Ultra Universal Restorative, can provide their patients with the most color-stable results possible., ,
, ,“Going through each grit individually will lead to a more colorstable composite restoration, enhancing its esthetic longevity.” ,– Taiseer A. Sulaiman, DDS, PhD, ,When using a system like 3M Sof-Lex that has multiple grits, it’s important to go through each grit individually, as opposed to jumping from coarse to fine, thereby skipping medium, Dr. Sulaiman said. 3M makes this process easy with color-coding to allow for easy identification of the grit sequence., ,“Research has shown that skipping between grits will lead to a deficient quality of the surface,” Dr. Sulaiman said. “Going through each grit individually will lead to a more color-stable composite restoration, enhancing its esthetic longevity.”, ,Proper finishing and polishing is a crucial step in the creation of beautiful, color-stable restorations. 3M Sof-Lex discs represent an easy-to-use system that makes the process smoother, allowing clinicians to create beautiful restorations with esthetics that last., ,“Color stability decreases with unproperly finished surfaces,” Dr. Sulaiman said. “It can lead to an overall discoloration of the composite and staining of the margins, where you can see that line where the composite has been added, and that’s displeasing to the patient. Proper polishing and finishing helps overcome the disadvantage to the surface characteristics of the composite, creating a smooth color-stable surface.”
