Key Points
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Provides an overview of available bulk-fill composite materials.
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Details techniques to optimise bulk-fill composite restoration success and placement.
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Reviews the bulk-fill composite material properties including their relative merits and shortfalls.
Abstract
Resin-based composite (RBC) materials are increasingly being used for the restoration of posterior teeth. The increasing demand for aesthetic, tooth-coloured restorations coupled with the patient's concerns regarding the use of mercury containing restorations, has driven a surge in the use of RBC materials. With the Minamata Convention in 2013 calling for the phase-out of dental amalgam and dental schools increasingly teaching techniques for RBC restorations in posterior teeth, it is likely that the dental profession's reliance upon RBC for the restoration of posterior teeth will only increase. In order to simplify and speed-up the placement of large posterior RBCs, manufacturers have produced a range of materials which can be placed in single or deeper increments, known as bulk-fill RBCs. Over a relatively short period of time many bulk-fill RBCs have been marketed quoting increment depths between 4-10 mm. The placement of these larger increments of RBC may reduce the time needed when placing posterior restorations and thereby reduce technique sensitivity. This article aims to review the properties and handling characteristics of the bulk-fill RBC materials currently available, while advising the optimal techniques of placement.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Leeds Dental Institute clinical illustration department for preparing the images and diagrams, and the restorative nursing staff including Carol Walker, Kate Ward, Alex Potter and Lauren Taylor.
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Chesterman, J., Jowett, A., Gallacher, A. et al. Bulk-fill resin-based composite restorative materials: a review. Br Dent J 222, 337–344 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.214
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.214
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