,3M Filtek Universal Restorative covers more tooth shades with less inventory, reducing complexity for high-end esthetic restorations, ,
,Salomon Maya, DMD, was ready for a change. He’d been having mixed results working with dental composites that were less than optimal in two key areas: handling and shade matching. When he tried the newly released 3M Filtek Universal Restorative over a year ago, he knew he had found what he was looking for., ,As he began to use the universal composite on both anterior and posterior restorations at his practice in Studio City, CA, the first telltale sign of success was in the creamier handling characteristics. “The handling is superior,” Dr. Maya said. “It’s almost like a buttery kind of feel and it’s easy to manipulate. That really helped me decide to commit to this system.”, ,It’s a system that’s not just easy to work with, but highly versatile—indicated for Class I to V restorations, and suitable for direct and indirect restorations, core buildups, splinting, and other restorative procedures. For delivery, 3M Filtek Universal is available in 4-gram syringes and 0.2-gram unit-dose capsules, which feature a longer 8-mm tip, a flexible opening for easier placement, and a design that allows the material to easily extrude but later become more viscous for shaping., ,While Dr. Maya was happy with the ability to place and shape the material, he was even more pleased with the simplified shade selection. With just eight designer shades and an extra white shade, 3M Filtek Universal Restorative covers all 19 VITA classical shades and bleach shades., ,“The simpler the system, the better,” Dr. Maya said. “If you have a system where you have to stock up on 10 or 15 different composite shades, that’s a nightmare, especially because you don’t really need many of them. So, I think this system has it spot-on.”, ,The NaturalMatch technology of 3M Filtek Universal Restorative uses nanofillers, proprietary low-stress monomers, and pigments to enable one-shade esthetics that blend more naturally with dentition., ,“My favorite feature of 3M Filtek Universal is how well it blends to the natural dentition,” Dr. Maya said. “The shades that are available make it easy to create a perfect match with natural teeth. This gives me the confidence in doing these restorations with dependable results.”, ,
, ,“Not only will the restoration look great, but it will also provide superior strength and wear resistance.”,– Salomon Maya, DMD, , ,The improved extra white shade simplifies the matching process without another specialty shade. Dr. Maya has found it ideal for patients with “super white teeth” where the standard A1 and B1 shades don’t cut it. “It has worked wonderfully in the anterior and blended in very nicely,” he said., ,3M Filtek Universal Restorative includes a pink opaquer specifically designed to mask metal and dark tooth structure. Dr. Maya described a recent case where this helped save the day. “I used the pink opaquer to block out a restoration on a porcelain crown that had been endodontically treated, and it allowed me to restore the access hole with a beautiful restoration. The crown looked brand new again and it saved us from having to do a new crown for the patient.”, ,Using the same successful TRUE nanotechnology as the other composites in the 3M Filtek family, the material polishes easily and retains its natural gloss, while providing high strength and wear resistance. “The finished restoration always looks nice and glossy,” said Dr. Maya. “When I show patients the final product, they are always super happy with that they see.”, ,Recommending this restorative product to another dentist, he said, is a “no brainer.”, ,“Not only will the restoration look great, but it will also provide superior strength and wear resistance. I use this resin with confidence, and I believe every dentist would want the same.”
