Speakers - Ultradent Academy: Anterior Composite Mastery

Dr. Newton Fahl, Jr. received his DDS degree from Londrina State University, Brazil, in 1987. In 1989 he received the Certificate in Operative Dentistry and Master of Science degree from the University of Iowa, USA. Dr. Fahl is a Fellow member of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry (AAED) ), an MCG-Hinman Foundation fellow, and an adjunct professor at UNC. He is the recipient of the prestigious American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry (AAED) 2008 President’s Award for Best Teacher and the 2011American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) Excellence in Cosmetic Dentistry Education Award.

In addition to being on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Fahl has published extensively on direct and indirect bonding techniques. He is proud to be the author of the book “Composite Veneers – the Direct-Indirect Technique.” His composite layering approach – The Polychromatic Technique (1995) – has helped thousands of dentists globally achieve the highest levels of restorative excellence.

Composite resins are routinely used to solve many challenges and for esthetic enhancement of the smile, including veneers. The direct restorative approach is the most accepted because it has proven effective when indicated in trained clinicians' hands.

The direct-indirect technique for composite resin veneer fabrication combines many of the distinct advantages of the direct and indirect techniques. A direct-indirect restoration is when the composite resin is sculpted directly on the tooth structure without previous adhesive preparation, light-activated, removed from the tooth, heat tempered, finished, polished extraorally, and finally adhered indirectly in the mouth in a single appointment. The resulting restoration exhibits improved mechanical properties, excellent esthetics, and unrivaled marginal adaptation and polishing.

One of the most significant advantages of this technique is the possibility to modulate the final color of the restoration with luting agents, allowing for minor modifications in the restoration hue, chroma, and value. Furthermore, the direct-indirect technique has many applications, including prepless contact lenses and veneers, veneers with preparation (discolored teeth), fragments, diastema closure, and non-carious cervical lesions, among others.

This course systematically covers these many applications and provides step-by-step protocols with specific layering strategies for each. Detailed case studies are included in the lectures to showcase the technique in various clinical scenarios, highlighting the materials used and the type of composite veneer selected in each situation. Under Dr. Fahl's guidance, the hands-on sessions practice the direct-indirect technique step-by-step, restoring the maxillary teeth that compose the smile frame.

As with all that is new, learning the direct-indirect technique will require an open mind and dedication. Once you master the concepts presented in this course, you will never view and use anterior composite resins the same way ever again.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to apply simple anatomy landmarks to enhance the esthetic results of composite veneers

• Learn how to select composite resins based on their optimal mechanical and optical properties

• Learn how to select the ideal enamel and dentin shades to suit your clinical needs

• Learn the Fahl Polychromatic Layering Technique to understand proper shade selection and layering strategies that mimic the natural dentition

• Understand the advantages of the direct-indirect technique over the direct technique and why you should incorporate this technique in your daily practice

• Understand the difference between composite contact lenses and veneers and learn how to select and layer the correct shades for seamless results

• Learn how to do a direct-indirect contact lens in less than 10 minutes

• Learn how to plan and restore single and multiple units with the direct-indirect veneering technique

• Learn how to use direct-indirect contact lenses and veneers as intraoral mock-ups for effective diagnosis and treatment planning

• Understand the benefits of supplemental extraoral light activation and heat tempering for restoration color and mechanical optimization

• Learn how to use try-in pastes for veneer shade modulation

• Learn how to bond composite veneers to enamel and dentin substrates with optimal bond strengths

• Learn a systematic protocol for replicating primary, secondary, and tertiary anatomy in composite veneers without compromising margin quality

• Learn a simplified step-by-step finishing and polishing technique to produce lifelike, long-lasting smoothness and gloss

All adhesives on the market claim to have high bond strengths. How does a practicing dentist even know what that means? You will see how adhesives perform relative to one another when tested on both dentin and enamel. You will also learn how the application of adhesives can be dramatically impacted by you, the practitioner. What we do matters!

We will cover the following:

How curing lights impact this process and how to get past the marketing hype
Navigating the maze of materials and techniques during cementation of an indirect prosthesis
Unravel the confusion regarding cementing or bonding zirconia, lithium disilicate, and others

The understanding and correct selection of materials for tooth whitening is directly related to the predictability of results. We can see a flood of new ideas to achieve a whiter smile, but an understanding of the substrate and the materials brings excellent results, connected with the promotion of oral health. This presentation aims to provide the most complete information about tooth whitening: from the understanding of peroxides to the different concentrations. Learn different proposals and approaches, times of use, regimens, longevity, and what actions to avoid the risk of sensitivities.

You will learn:

How peroxides work
The difference between types of peroxides
The chemical stability of whitening agents