Advances in pediatric esthetic dentistry

The introduction of low-shrinkage composite and no-rinse conditioners has created an opportunity for pediatric dentists to change their standard operative regimen. The low-shrink composite solves many of the problems that have discouraged clinicians from routinely providing posterior composites for their patients. The reduction in polymerization shrinkage decreases problems with contraction stresses, sensitivity, microleakage, recurrent caries, and negative pulpal sequelae. No-rinse conditioners simplify the process and shorten the time required for bonding procedures. Liquid polish reduces the tedious finishing previously required with resin-based composites. The combination of the easier bonding and more user-friendly composite could add a new operative technique to the pediatric dentist's armamentarium. A study of low-shrink, resin-based composite restorations was performed to determine the effectiveness of these new materials for pediatric dental practice. The restorations were placed in primary molars to allow for their retrieval when exfoliated. The preparation and restorative techniques were standardized to match a similar study that used the "open-sandwich" method. The modified US Public Health Service ranking was used to evaluate marginal integrity at 6-month intervals for the 40 restorations placed in primary molars as a pilot study. TESCERA ATL restorations and prostheses were also evaluated for clinical effectiveness.