2

DENTISTRYTODAY.COM • MAY 2010

QUICK TECHNIQUE

IPS Empress Direct

CLINICAL PROCEDURE1. Place a rubber dam to ensure complete isolation.2. Remove the caries and prepare the tooth.3. Apply a total etch gel to the teeth for 15 seconds.4. Place a desensitizing agent to the preparation.5. Apply an adhesive bonding agent to the preparation for 10 seconds.

6. Air-thin the bonding agent using high pressure, then light-cure for 10seconds using an LED curing light.7. Place the appropriate dentin or enamel shade of IPS Empress Direct,sculpt, and cure for 40 seconds.8. Remove the rubber dam and finish and polish restoration using a seriesof integrated products, including the Optrapol polisher.

Figure 1. After complete isolation is achieved with the rubberdam, the caries is removed.

Figure 2. A desensitizing agent is applied to the preparation.

Figure 3. Place a total etch gel on the preparation for 15seconds.

Figure 4. An adhesive bonding agent is applied to thepreparation using a convenient dispensing tool (VivaPen,Ivoclar Vivadent).

Figure 5. The IPS Empress Direct composite in shade TRANS30 is placed, then cured with an LED curing light.

Figure 6. After removing the rubber dam, the restoration isfinished and polished.

By Christopher D. Ramsey, DMD, AAACD

To keep pace with the latest trends incosmetic dentistry—including theneed for durable, highly aesthetic,

convenient materials for use when creatingdirect restorations—the IPS Empress systemhas evolved significantly. Its most recentaddition, IPS Empress Direct, is a light-cur-ing nanohybrid direct composite that dem-onstrates exceptional handling propertiesfor achieving consistent anterior aestheticssimilar to ceramics but with the on-demandease of composite.

With IPS Empress Direct, achieving natu-ral aesthetics is predictable. The true-to-natureshades and calibrated translucencies/fluores-cences eliminate that need for complicatedshade combinations. Clinicians need onlydetermine thedentinandenamel shadesusingthe IPS Empress Direct ceramic shade guideandsimply replace themissing tooth structurewith the appropriate material; they replacedentin with the corresponding dentin shadeand enamel with the corresponding enamelshade.

The high radiopacity of IPS EmpressDirect compared to natural tooth structureensures a sound diagnosis, while the materi-al is considerably less sensitive to light thanother composite materials, providing ade-quate time to sculpt the anatomy of the res-toration. Because IPS Empress Direct is a na-nohybrid composite, it provides a gloss re-tention similar to that of a microfill or na-nofill, but because it is a hybrid, it will alsoprovide the benefit of higher strength andmodulus of elasticity, making it suitable forposterior indications, also.

IPS Empress Direct features an even dis-tribution of filler particles that facilitate aquick and easy polish for a long-lasting, lus-trous shine similar to IPS Empress ceramicrestorations. Its broad range of dentin andenamel shades as well as its different translu-cencies and opacities create infinite opportu-nities for realizing aesthetic results for everyindication.