Efficient and Effective Pediatric Restorations With Beautifil KIDS SA

If there are 2 words to describe the desired qualities of pediatric restorative dentistry, they would be efficiency and efficacy.

Anyone experienced with children knows the primary goals in delivering any type of care are speed and predictable results. Whether we are caring for a child who is unable or unwilling, or simply young, we need to be quick. The most important factor in providing successful restorative dentistry for the children in our practice is selecting appropriate restorative materials.

No matter how fast we may be in providing the filling, despite how excellent our technique is and regardless of how fantastic our dental materials are, success will rely entirely upon the proper diagnosis and patient choice. In North America, we love composite resin. For most of us, it is our most used and favorite material. But it is a technique-sensitive material. It requires etching and bonding, and a dry field. This is a tall order for a child unable or unwilling to sit still.

Furthermore, composite resin restorations in primary dentition have limited success and poor longevity. This means we need to be certain about choosing patients who are to receive composite restorations, and we should be diligent in selecting material.

In every scenario in which we have a child in our dental chair, we strive to provide thorough care that does not require extended periods of sitting still. We must stack the odds of success for our patients and ourselves in our favor.

A Composite Fit for Children

Composite resins are evolving. After practicing dentistry for 3 decades, I have seen that evolution from unesthetic, difficult-to-handle, inert composite resins to highly esthetic, easy-to-manage, bioactive materials.

Bioactivity entered the dental industry many years ago with materials that released and recharged with fluoride. Fluoride, of course, is well known for its ability to mineralize and create fluorapatite and hydroxyfluorapatite. In higher concentrations, fluoride acts as an antibacterial.

SHOFU, however, created a material even more beneficial ­— introducing a “super-powered composite resin” in its line of bioactive composite resins, featuring bioactive Giomer Technology. These materials, such as Beautifil II, do more than release and recharge only fluoride. This unique formula has healthful ions that enable the composite resin to behave in a bioactive manner and to remineralize, resist acid attack, inhibit hypersensitivity, and provide antibacterial protection.

Recently, SHOFU introduced a self-adhesive version of this product, Beautifil Kids SA. This composite resin is available in an easy-to-use, esthetic, flowable composite resin that is a bioactive Giomer material. Even more impressive is the SA, which stands for “self-adhesive.” This means we now can place a bioactive resin restoration that needs no adhesive.

Beautifil Kids SA provides a chemical bond and resin tag infiltration. For pediatric dentistry, this is a huge advantage. Without the steps of using a separate adhesive, SHOFU has effectively decreased chair time and increased productivity. Without the steps involving the adhesive in the restorative workflow, they have also eliminated an area in which significant error can be made, as this is one of the most technique-sensitive steps of restorative dentistry, pediatric or not. Additionally, without an adhesive layer the bioactive ions can flow freely from the flowable composite resin to the tooth structure.

Beautifil Kids SA makes us more effective and efficacious by simplifying composite resin placement.

Case 1 Patient C.P.

Figure 1: An 8-year-old patient presents with tooth #16 with a smaller carious lesion that bordered between a protective resin restoration and a class I restoration.

Figure 2: Caries are excavated with a pear-shaped high-speed carbide bur.

Figure 3: Beautifil Kids SA is placed with the syringe tip at the base of the cavitation and the material is extruded carefully so as not to incorporate bubbles.

Figure 4: Careful application of Beautifil Kids SA will lead to a restoration in which little finishing is required.

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Patient presented with multiple caries. She was aged 8 years at the time of treatment. Pictured here is tooth #16 with a smaller carious lesion that bordered between a protective resin restoration and a class I restoration. Note that Beautifil Kids SA instructions for use are for non–stress-bearing areas and to be placed in small increments no greater than 2 mm.

Tooth #16 is isolated; caries are excavated with a pear-shaped, high-speed carbide bur. Beautifil Kids SA is placed and cured. The syringe tip is placed at the base of the cavitation and the material is extruded carefully so as not to incorporate bubbles. Careful application will lead to a restoration in which little finishing is required. In this case, the material did double duty as I used it to seal and protect the grooves that were not carious. However, if necessary, easy finishing and polishing can be accomplished with OneGloss PS.

Case 2 Patient L.C.

Figure 1: A 4-year-old patient with primary central incisor with a small carious lesion manageable with a tiny restoration.

Figure 2: Beautifil Kids SA is carefully placed directly into the prep

Figure 3: The finished restoration.

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Early childhood caries present in a great percentage of children in my practice, and patient L.C. is no exception. Rampant caries were present, both posterior and anterior. In these photos, patient was aged 4 years. The primary central incisor presented with a small carious lesion manageable with a tiny restoration. The area is isolated and preparation with a tapered fissure, high-speed carbide bur. Beautifil Kids SA is placed and cured. Once again, careful application will lead to a restoration in which little finishing is required.

Beautifil Kids SA is restorative material that has surpassed any of our previous materials in its ability to provide bioactive and self-adhesive properties. This is a product that must be included in your armamentarium.