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Why I Use…Stela Composite

By: Dental Product Shopper

2/27/2026

Flowable, self-curing restorative allows you to create a gap-free interface in 2 easy steps

PRIYA TIRUMALASETTY, DDS, MAGD, AAACD

Dr. Tirumalasetty is a 1997 graduate of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and completed a General Practice Residency at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA. In 1998, she moved to Chicago to begin private practice, and 2 years later, established her own dental office in the Chicago Loop. She became a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry in 2005 and earned Mastership in 2023, completing more than 1,000 hours of continuing dental education. In 2014, Dr. Tirumalasetty published an article on composite bonding in the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), and in 2018, she achieved Accredited Member status with the AACD—an honor awarded through a rigorous accreditation process recognizing excellence and “responsible esthetics” in cosmetic dentistry. In 2023, Dr. Tirumalasetty completed the required coursework to become a graduate of the Kois Center and joined the Catapult Education Speakers Group.

Restorative dentists have long sought a material that blends the durability of an amalgam with the esthetics and simplicity of a composite—and SDI’s Stela delivers. A high-performance, self-curing, flowable material designed to deliver both strength and esthetics with a simple 2-step workflow, it has become a mainstay in the Chicago, IL, practice of Priya Tirumalasetty, DDS, MAGD, AAACD. Here, she shares what makes this innovative material live up to its promise of a true amalgam alternative.

Having worked with SDI’s glass ionomer restoratives for years, I can attest to their excellent performance. So, when a rep suggested Stela, I initially thought, “I’m happy with what I have; why would I need this?” But for posterior restorations, I’ve always preferred a heavyweight material that provides the proper strength and contacts, and glass ionomers tend to be softer than natural tooth structure. Since Stela was positioned as a “true amalgam alternative,” it got my wheels turning, and I decided to give it a try.

Immediately, I liked that Stela capsules offered the same familiar delivery system as my other SDI products. The real game changer, however, was the super-simplified workflow, which requires no etching, bonding, or light curing. Even after years of working with 2-bottle adhesives, I’ll sometimes wonder whether we’ve applied the primer and bonding agent in the correct order. With Stela, I only need to place the Stela Primer and the composite—no more second-guessing. And due to its self-cure chemistry, Stela reliably sets on its own, which is revolutionary.

Strength & Simplicity

Stela’s streamlined process makes it especially convenient for core buildups, pediatric treatment, and patients who prefer a filling over a porcelain crown. Preventing postop sensitivity in these cases typically requires placing layer after layer of composite, which can be challenging in hard-to-reach posterior areas. Because Stela can be injected directly into preparations, I’m confident that my patients will experience minimal-to-no sensitivity.

Many bioactive restoratives are softer materials, but Stela releases remineralizing fluoride while delivering strength and stability. Its hardness eliminates the risk of gouging the material during crown prep or polishing. I also no longer have to worry about shade selection; Stela has a chameleon effect that matches the surrounding tooth structure beautifully with a single, universal shade.

A True Amalgam Alternative

My patients deserve every chance at success, and Stela minimizes microleakage, postop sensitivity, and the need for future root canal treatment. Along with remarkable strength, esthetics, and simplicity, it’s the perfect choice for many cases and a must-have in my restorative practice. Stela is a genuinely unique prod-uct on today’s market, and absolutely worth trying for any dentist seeking a true amalgam alternative.

Tags: Flowable, SDI (North America) Inc., Stela Composite

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Stela Composite

Stela is the ultimate high-performance flowable composite and the ideal restorative for Classes I, II, III and V. Stela Primer contains a catalyst that initiates the curing process at the restoration interface and not from the occlusal surface like traditional light curing processes. This polymerization sequence mitigates stress to enable a gap-free interface, reducing post operative sensitivity and the risk of premature failure.

SDI (North America) Inc.

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