Recommendations for the use of composite resins in esthetic restorations

Abstract

Introduction: patients often request the performance of restorations compatible with the standards of dental esthetics. This is sometimes hampered by the great variety of restoring materials and techniques for their application. Objective: propose recommendations for the use of photopolymerizable composite resins in esthetic restorations of anterior and posterior teeth. Methods: a bibliographic review was performed about techniques for the use of composite resins in esthetic restorations. The search was conducted in the databases Scopus, SciELO, Hinari and Medline, as well as 45 manually indexed scientific journals. The reviewers selected the 89 papers and 3 books which approached the topic in a more comprehensive manner. All the documents reviewed were arranged and processed by scientific journal and year of publication. Data integration: recommendations included the following topics: individual assessment of the patient's esthetic considerations, selection of the resin type to use, selection of color, prophylaxis and polishing of the work surface, cavity preparation with or without beveling, protection or not of the dentin-pulp complex, acid engraving, washing and rinsing of the engraving acid, application of the adhesive, insertion and manipulation of the composite resin, polymerization and finishing of the restoration. Final considerations: there is a great variety of curative and esthetic treatments based on the use of photopolymerizable composite resins. Therefore, it would be advisable to follow these recommendations, among others: clean the work surface, select the appropriate resin color and type, perform as few beveled cavity preparations as possible (only if required), apply increments while carrying out the restoration, polymerize avoiding great contraction reactions, and polish the restorations appropriately.

Keywords

• adhesivos
• estética dental
• resina compuesta dental
• restauración dentaria permanente