Streamline Direct Anterior Success with the 3M Filtek Matrix

More patients than ever are interested in enhancing their smiles with esthetic treatment. However, cost is a common concern, as is the fear of compromising natural, healthy tooth structure. While direct bonding procedures can offer a conservative, cost-attractive option, it’s one that many clinicians often feel intimidated, if not outright unprepared to deliver.

“Many dentists don’t offer composite veneers because they lack the skills to do it,” said Aaron Tinkle, DMD, a general dentist based in Portland, OR. “Most have only done one case in dental school, and it was either on a bench top or a training manikin.”

Luckily, dentists can now rely on the Filtek Matrix from Solventum. Used alongside 3M Filtek Dental Composites, this digitally designed anterior matrix system enables virtually any clinician to provide esthetic restorations using additive techniques. “The Filtek Matrix has proven invaluable in situations where patients want to enhance esthetics non-invasively,” said Sunny Virdi, DMD, who practices in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. “These scenarios can often feel intimidating, but by using digital workflows, the Filtek Matrix allows practitioners to deliver consistent results with greater ease and confidence.”

Restore in Half the Time

The Filtek Matrix is ideal for everything from peg laterals and diastema closures to post-orthodontic treatment and composite veneers. “Many of these cases can be done without anesthesia, and I can routinely complete a 4- to 6-unit case in an hour and a 2-unit case in 40 minutes,” Dr. Tinkle shared. “This is half of the time it would take to do it freehand, and with significantly more predictability and less stress on my end.”

Because it optimizes the length, incisal edges, and overall thickness of restorations, Dr. Virdi also calls the Filtek Matrix a “game-changer” in terms of efficiency. “The Filtek Matrix enables me to save roughly 50% of the time it would take to perform treatments by hand,” he said, adding, “The ability to treat up to 6 teeth simultaneously reduces one of the most time consuming parts of the procedure to approximately 10 minutes.”

Patient-Preferred Treatment

Beyond reducing chair time, the Filtek Matrix makes restorative treatment more accessible and attractive to patients. “Additive composite veneers with the Filtek Matrix are significantly more conservative than traditional ceramic veneers,” Dr. Tinkle explained. “Due to the time savings of a chairside restoration and the lack of a lab bill, the cost of resin veneers tends to be about half the cost of ceramic veneers.” Dr. Virdi likewise shared that the Filtek Matrix allows clinicians to provide treatment options that align with patients’ needs and preferences. “While I am also a proponent of indirect ceramic materials, there are patients who face budgetary limitations or prefer not to alter their enamel,” he said. “The Filtek Matrix provides a viable solution, enabling these patients to achieve desired outcomes in an efficient, cost-effective manner.”

Simplicity from Design to Delivery

Thanks to a simple, streamlined digital workflow, Filtek Matrix procedures can typically be completed in as little as 2 appointments. It starts by taking scans or impressions and filling out a digital prescription, after which doctors review and approve the custom restoration design through the web-based Oral Care Portal.

“Many of us are already used to sending scans and photos to a lab and filling out a digital slip, and this is exactly the same,” Dr. Tinkle explained. “In fact, I delegate all the pretreatment steps to a staff member and come back into the picture when there is a digital proposal ready to approve or modify.”

Once treatments are approved, clinicians use the 3D-printed Filtek Matrix and Filtek dental composites to transfer the design to the patient’s teeth. “Like with any new technique, there is a learning curve involved, but improvement comes with experience,” Dr. Virdi said. “When clinicians are taught to use the Filtek Matrix in hands-on training programs, I’ve observed that most achieve remarkable results even on their first try, which I find highly encouraging.”

Confidence in Every Case

Ultimately, the Filtek Matrix is a solution that evens the playing field, empowering clinicians of all experience levels to take on once-challenging cases with confidence and consistently see success.

“The Filtek Matrix allows us to offer patients more conservative and cost-effective restorations without the need for hours and hours of continuing education,” Dr. Tinkle affirmed. “As long as the dentist is comfortable polishing a composite with some slight finishing on the edges, then this procedure can be performed in a predictable and stress-free way.”