Shortie matrix and complex Class IV composite resin restoration

Clinicians face a dilemma treating anterior teeth severely damaged by caries or fracture. The ideal treatment in many cases would be a full veneer crown. A restorative procedure that satisfies biologic and esthetic considerations is generally not difficult for the experienced clinician. But such a treatment path may be reevaluated because of financial considerations, tooth prognosis, and planned treatment of teeth. Perhaps the most critical issue in the restorative procedure is the role the faciolingual contour of the junctional epithelium (epithelium attachment) plays in matrix adaptation. This article offers the clinician the rationale and technique to utilize the Original Tofflemeier matrix #2 in large Class IV cavity preparation.