Different Techniques to Establish Occlusal Anatomy of Posterior Teeth with Composite. A Review

Abstract

Composite resin restoration on posterior teeth through the incremental technique is, generally, a timeconsuming
procedure with the risk of contamination between the layers. Therefore, there is a need to
facilitate the work of dental professionals and achieve aesthetic and functional results such as the occlusal
stamp technique. “Stamp technique” is a technique used for restoring class I and class II restorations with
accurate occlusal topography. It was introduced mainly to restore Class I cavities and erosively damaged
teeth. A stamping technique is an easy-to-follow procedure to recreate accurate occlusal topography for a
direct composite resin restoration effectively and efficiently with less time needed for finishing and polishing
of the restoration. This technique consists of fabricating an occlusal matrix that mimics the natural occlusal
anatomy of posterior teeth,before cavity preparation takes place. This matrix is then pressed against the
final composite increment before curing takes place and is suitable in cases where caries is evident during
the clinical examination or radiographically within tact marginal ridges and ideal occlusal anatomy. For
overcoming the main disadvantage of polymerization shrinkage seen in composite restorations, it has [to
be done using incremental layer technique. Stamp is used in the final layer to replicate the natural anatomy
of the occlusal surface. A precise tooth-like restoration having an accurate functional occlusion is obtained
when the stamp technique is performed. This technique also can be utilized for class II cavity restorations
where the marginal ridge is intact. This case report describes simple class I composite restoration using
stamp technique. The main objective is to replicate occlusal anatomy by making a copy of the original
unprepared tooth structure to get a perfect anatomy in a few minutes. This review walks through many
techniques utilized for simulating posterior occlusal anatomy.