Posterior Composites with Dr Céline Higton

A bout your trainer: Dr Céline Higton

Dr Céline Higton qualified with Distinction and Honours from King’s College London, this university currently holds the number 1 world ranking for Dentistry. Since graduating, Céline has continued to excel in her field, having completed extensive post-graduate training in various restorative and cosmetic disciplines including Invisalign and Facial Aesthetics

She is an artist at heart and has an exceptional eye for detail and drive for quality; attributes which perfectly align with her absolute passion for restorative cosmetic dentistry. This passion has not only led to quality work and first-rate patient care, but also an established career in teaching. Céline is an internationally recognised expert in various modern restorative dental procedures and is quickly becoming a regular speaker at prestigious dental conferences and symposiums worldwide. This exposure to dental education and the International elite within the field ensures that Céline is always working at the forefront of innovation using only the best techniques and materials.

Course Description:

This course will present the concept that the placement of high quality and durable posterior composite resin restorations relies heavily upon a well-executed sequence consisting of excellent isolation, cavity preparation, matrixing and finally the composite placement itself. Learn how to follow cutting edge biomimetic principles and consistently place robust and reliable posterior composites that will stand the test of time and outlast the industry standards.

Aims:

- Discuss the benefits of and reasons for using rubber dam isolation

- Recognise the place for rubber dam isolation in every day practice

- Highlight the importance of correct cavity preparation design

- Discuss the principles of matrix choice and placement

- Cover the biomimetic approach to direct adhesive restorations

- Provide step-by-step protocols for posterior composite placement

- Revise composite restoration sequences and workflow

Objectives:

- Understand the importance of correct material and equipment choice when placing rubber dam

- Appreciate how critical correct clamp choice is for correct isolation

- Become proficient in placing rubber dam in every day posterior restorative scenarios

- Safely and efficiently place rubber dam for quadrant isolation

- Understand the rationale behind wide and open cavity preparation and design

- Learn how to prepare the cavity in order to facilitate better matrix and composite placement

- Understand which burs to use for cavity preparation and why

- Recognise the difference between various matrixing systems and learn when they are best used

- Learn how to effectively and accurately place sectional matrix systems

- Understand how to immediate dentine seal and the many benefits of doing so

- Learn the principles of deep margin elevation and how to undertake it

- Appreciate the importance of marginal seal and the techniques involved in proximal wall creation

- Understand that posterior composite placement should be a purely additive process that respects the natural morphology and anatomy of the tooth

- Appreciate the importance of correct occlusal anatomy with regard to function and aesthetics

- Learn how to create aesthetic and natural occlusal anatomy

GDC Outcomes

16 hrs CPD

A: Communication skills, consent.

C: Maintenance and development of knowledge and skill within your field of practice.

Course Itinerary:

Day 1 - Friday 5th July 2024

Morning: Isolation

Afternoon: Cavity Preparation & Matrixing

Day 1 Topics Overview:

Why use rubber dam?

Advantages of working with rubber dam

Managing patient acceptance of rubber dam

Basic and advanced equipment selection

Rubber dam setup

Protocols for posterior quadrant isolation

Inversion of the rubber dam

Use of accessory clamps and ligatures

Difficult cases and solutions

Principles of cavity preparation

Direct posterior composite cavity design

Bur choice for cavity preparation

Caries removal and management of enamel

Refinement and finishing of the cavity

Matrix selection and placement

Principles of matrixing for deep margin elevation

Marginal seal adaptation and adjustment using wedges and PTFE

Day 1 Hands-on overview:

Clamp selection and placement

Dam preparation with correct hole size, positioning and lubricant

Placement of the dam using various techniques

Flossing of contact points

Inversion of the dam

Retracting the dam and soft tissues with accessory clamps, floss ligatures and PTFE

Cavity preparation steps

Refinement and finishing of the cavity including the use of aquacare

Matrix selection and placement for class II cavities, back to back cavities and deep margin elevation

Day 2 - Saturday 6th July 2024

Morning: Deep margin elevation, Proximal wall placement and base of restoration

Afternoon: Occlusion, tooth morphology and final stages of composite placement

Day 2 Topics Overview:

Adhesives, composites and light-curing

Immediate dentine sealing and resin coating

Deep margin elevation

Proximal wall placement

Principles of placing low stress and low shrinkage composites

Posterior layering techniques

Tooth morphology and principles of occlusion

Occlusal anatomy & adjustments

Creating fissures and applying tints/sealing fissures

Finishing and polishing protocols

Troubleshooting

Day 2 Hands-on overview:

Immediate dentine sealing and resin coating

Deep margin elevation

Proximal wall placement

Posterior layering techniques

Tooth anatomy drawing exercise

Cusp-by-cusp, FMT and flowable composite techniques to create correct morphology

Applying tints/sealing fissures

Checking occlusion and making adjustments

Finishing and polishing

Host or Publisher GC United Kingdom Ltd