by Palodent ® Plus Sectional Matrix System found to offer predictable, efficient clinical outcomes
When DentalOne Partners selected Dentsply Sirona’s Palodent® Plus Sectional Matrix System as its primary sectional matrix system, it was confident its choice in products would ultimately lead to better patient care. “DentalOne Partners began using Palodent® Plus Sectional Matrix System four years ago as the primary sectional matrix system within our offices because we believe the product leads to more predictable and efficient clinical outcomes,” says Dr. Charles Zasso, DDS, FAGD., MBA, chief clinical officer, DentalOne Partners. “We are always looking for products, techniques and strategies to provide better patient care, and Palodent® Plus is clearly a product that helps us deliver better results for our patients.
“Our affiliated providers were especially impressed with the system’s ability to help create realistic anatomic interproximal areas with the contact point in the middle third of the tooth and marginal ridges,” Dr. Zasso continues. And, given the proper training, his staff found Palodent® Plus Sectional Matrix System to be user friendly and reliable. “We tried other systems, but the Palodent® Plus system took the lead time and time again,” he points out. “Our clinical team discovered it was the most intuitive sectional matrix system to use, and by far it had the shortest training time.”
In no time, Dr. Zasso and his clinical staff were creating more efficient restorations, leading to more effective care and greater patient satisfaction. “Palodent® Plus is faster and easier to use, but most importantly, it provides superior patient outcomes,” he says. Additionally, it offers the following, he notes:
- Better contacts.
- Outstanding isolation of the proximal box.
- Stability of the ring.
- Proper contouring.
- Tight seal of the matrix band, minimizing flash.
“A secondary benefit is the ease of finishing and polishing, since the system places the composite in the right anatomic spot,” Dr. Zasso points out. “Therefore, you do not need to perform as much finishing to make the restoration look great.”
Meeting the gold standard
“Palodent® Plus Sectional Matrix System works by creating efficiencies throughout the most difficult part of a Class II procedure,” Dr. Zasso explains. “The rings, matrix bands, and hollow wedges help to easily recreate the proper contacts.”
In the case of Class II composite restorations, isolation of the completed preparation with a matrix system that provides tights contacts and accurate contours is essential for successful placement. Not only does the selected matrix system need to seal the preparation to help achieve marginal integrity, it needs to mimic natural tooth contour and facilitate interproximal contact.
The three main parts of the Palodent® Plus system include:
- A nickel-titanium ring capable of separating the teeth and sealing the matrix.
- Palodent® Plus EZ Coat matrices that offer a micro-thin, super-curved form and a non-stick finish to ensure easier matrix removal.
- Wave-shaped wedges.
Traditionally, the wedge has worked to separate the teeth and seal the gingival margin of the preparation by adapting the matrix to the tooth.1 Palodent® Plus wave-shaped wedges have wings that compress during placement and then flare when inserted to help adapt and seal the matrix, leading to improved marginal integrity and anatomic proximal contour of the restoration. Additionally, the Palodent® Plus Matrix System includes a wedge guard, which attaches a thin piece of metal matrix to the top of a wedge, preventing unintended damage to adjacent teeth during preparation. Once the preparation is complete, the metal guard is easily detached, leaving the wedge available for adaptation of the final matrix and ring placement.
Dr. Charles Zasso D.D.S., F.A.G.D., M.B.A., DentalOne Partners, Chief Clinical Officer. Dr. Zasso graduated from Northwestern University Dental School with honors and received his General Practice Residency training at the VA Medical Center in Bay Pines, Florida. The VA hospital residency focused on multi-specialty training in areas of Oral Surgery, Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics, Endodontics, Geriatrics and the treatment of medically compromised patients. In 2001, Dr. Zasso received his Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry and in 2009, his Master’s in Business Administration front Northwestern University’s prestigious Kellogg School of Management with a Dean’s commendation for outstanding academic achievement. Dr. Zasso is still treating patients and has a special interest in cosmetic dentistry and is committed to quality comprehensive care. With over 1,000 hours of accredited continuing education, he is currently chairman of the formulary committee and is a founding Board member of the DOHI (Dentists for Oral Health Innovation), a national group with over 8,000 members representing
- Shuman I, Excellence in class II direct composite restorations. Dent Today 2007; 26(4):102, 104-5.
