Using Composite to Create a Stable Occlusion

As we go through our treatment we talk about three different phases.

Phase one is to stabilize the biology, Stage two is to stabilize the occlusion. Then stage three is to do all the sort of final restorations. Now, certainly, getting the biology correct is going to be incredibly important.

Getting the biology correct is going to be incredibly important.

But as we look at trying to stabilize the occlusion using composite, it can be a very, very useful means of doing that. Sometimes, we can use it as a temporary measure, maybe just to hold some things in place. Very, very simple to do. Sometimes, we can use it for transitional restorations, maybe if we have got orthodontics or implants, where it is going to be in there for quite a long time. And sometimes we can use it as a final restoration, so we can do all the things that we normally do:

• Do our diagnosis.
• Do our treatment planning.
• Get to the diagnostic wax-up and then we can use that diagnostic wax-up to help us place composites. It is going to create that ideal occlusion for us.

So composite has lots of different uses for us.

It can be used in a temporary sense, just to stabilize as we start in a process. It can be used for transitional restorations, which maybe we are going to progress more towards final restorations in the future. But I also believe that done correctly, we can also use composite to stabilize the occlusion over a much longer period of time, but it all comes from that same process. All comes from examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, getting that diagnostic wax-up.

So the design of the system is still the same whatever material it is that we use. But composite can be an economical and very practical way of helping you stabilize that occlusion, maybe until the patient is more ready to move forward.