Assuring restorative integrity in extensive posterior resin composite restorations: pushing the envelope

Clinicians are increasingly being called on to satisfy the restorative demands of patients who request tooth-colored restorations but are unable to afford an optimum indirect restorative option. Consequently, in clinical practice, the limits of the direct posterior resin composite technique are being stretched. There is a need for techniques that will satisfy the complex variables of clinical practice and allow for successful utilization of posterior resin composite in large cavity preparations. The objective of this article is to explain the rationale behind the materials and techniques involved in the delivery of these complicated restorations.