by Dr Monika Behrens, Plaza Dental, Mackay, QLD
by Dr Monika Behrens, Plaza Dental, Mackay, QLDI use this warmer for all my composite filling work. Not only does it warm the composite material but the instruments as well. There is even an area to warm local anaesthetic.
What’s good about it
The unit has three different temperature settings to optimally warm the composite, the instruments and the anaesthetic. Warmed composite adapts nicely to the cavity wall and extrudes very easily. I have found that this unit is excellent when working on anterior build-ups because it decreases the voids that can appear in the composite.
The composite material can sit in the unit all day and still be fine to use. Of course, composite can be used without warming but it’s harder to extrude and the cavity adaption can be a bit difficult.
I don’t think a composite warmer is a standard piece of equipment in many practices as it’s looked upon as an added expense. While it mightn’t be an absolute necessity, it definitely helps if you’re doing a lot of composites throughout the day. It just makes the work flow a bit easier.
What’s not so good
The composite compule does get quite warm so you need to be careful not to touch the patient’s lip when using it. It also extrudes the warmed composite fairly quickly. If you apply too much pressure to the composite gun, the material will come pouring out.
