A Time-Saving Technique to Restore Patients’ Smiles

At his tech-forward general dental practice in Edgewood, NM, Dr. Zachary Currie recalls treating a patient with severe abrasive and corrosive wear to his mandibular incisors. Even after two root canal procedures, his teeth showed significant decay over time. “The last thing I wanted to do was remove more tooth structure,” Dr. Currie said.

With financial constraints hindering the prospect of crown placements, Dr. Currie approached treatment using the 3M Filtek Matrix, a minimally invasive solution that provides a natural-looking anterior restoration in as little as two visits—all at a significantly lower price point.1,2

“Especially with cases requiring 4 or more composite veneers, the Filtek Matrix is my go-to solution,” he said. “When we finished treatment on this patient, it was amazing. You wouldn’t even realize a composite restoration was done.”

Unlike ceramic procedures that require the removal of healthy tooth structure, Filtek Matrix is a digitally designed solution that relies on the additive composite technique.3 “I frequently use it for rebuilding larger teeth with highly esthetic results, while also speeding up the restorative process that would otherwise take 2 to 3 times longer to finish without the matrix,” Dr. Currie said.

The customized anterior matrix system artfully combines a 3D-printed matrix with 3M Filtek Restoratives. Once clinicians scan or impress the patient’s teeth and complete a digital prescription, they simply review and approve the treatment design, and then use the 3D-printed Filtek Matrix to transfer the design using 3M dental composites. The large windows of the Filtek Matrix make it easy to place and mold the composite, while matrix "doors" compress the material and precisely contour facial surfaces. “It is much quicker getting the composite on patients’ teeth, and I save the most time when finishing,

contouring, and cleaning up the material,” Dr. Currie said. Cleanup is further simplified by the matrix’s precise gingival trim.

“I love how the Filtek Matrix makes breaking interproximal contacts a cinch,” Dr. Currie added. “It's similar to making composite crowns but without worrying about them sticking together. This has been game-changing for me.”

Just Diagnose, Approve, and Use

Dr. Currie is grateful for the 3M Oral Care Portal and its intuitive, 5-step ordering process, which blends customized treatment planning with delivering high-quality restorations more efficiently.

“I take my scans, submit my patient’s case, and describe what I am looking to accomplish through the portal, and then I receive a proposal of what the contours of the teeth should look like,” he explained. “In some cases, there will be reductions indicated, but then the technicians do a very good job with 3D-printing the matrix. The Oral Care Portal is by far one of the most easy-to-use platforms.” He concluded, “The Filtek Matrix always seems to fit. It not only simplifies the restorative process, but we get very quick returns on our designs, and especially from a cosmetic perspective, the final results look better than what we could accomplish free handing direct bonding procedures."

References

1. 3M™ Filtek™ Matrix procedure is minimally invasive/conservative. Objective Claim-11-005672.

2. 3M™ Filtek™ Matrix enables dentists to save chair time when performing composite veneers, tooth recontours, and diastema closures. Objective Claim-11-005666.

3. Compared to the freehand technique, the 3M™ Filtek™ Matrix provides a digitally improved process for esthetically superior outcomes. Objective Claim-11-005759.