I recently had a chance to attend a conference put on by Ivoclar.  It was one of those events where they share data on their products and give you a sneak peek into some upcoming products that they are releasing.    There were three products that caught my eye specifically at the conference.

1- Ivoclar Bulk Fill composite
2- A redesigned Multilink cement for easier clean up
3- OptraSculpt pads.

The first two I will talk about in future blogs.  I want to share with you the OptraSculpt pads.  This is one of those ingenious little inventions that we all kick ourselves for not thinking of sooner.  The product is basically designed to help place composites, specifically in situations like a class V or an anterior facial composite.

The kit comes with two sized pads that can be inserted into a handle.  The pads are available in 4mm and 6mm sizes and are made of a non stick material.

What is so great about them you ask?  Well, the ability to place composite and apply it evenly without streaks or pulls is a major step forward. Simply use the face of the pad to tap the composites into place and you will find that it allows the composites to be sculpted with ease.

This to me is one of those gotta have little gadgets.  Simple, inexpensive and easy to use.  Here are some photos below.  You can order these direct from Patterson Dental starting in a few weeks.  Try this and I think you will really like them for your facial composites.

The OptraSculpt Pads

The kit comes with a handle and two sizes of pads

The pads are inserted into one end of the handle

The other end has a spatula for composite placement

The non stick surface on the pad allows for easy placement of the composite onto the surface of the preparation.  Its really simple but works really well.