Handling GIC

One issue with material handling I have had in the past is with GIC. Something about the texture and the fact that it self sets makes it incredibly difficult to handle in my hands. Occlusal cavities aren't too bad as you just bog it up making sure to avoid incorporating air bubbles and then trim down the rest but in the aesthetic zone I do find it difficult to place and polish to an acceptable result.

Some strategies I've used in the past:

-Bond on a microbrush or instrument to improve handling
-Bog up and trim back: Tended to have a poor result with bur marks in the GIC
-Cover with bond and cure for a good finish: Apparently G coat plus is used for this which I haven't had experience with yet

Currently my strategy during class V GIC placement is to overfill the cavity just very slightly (practice makes perfect) then to use a flat plastic or a carver to pat the material down and adapt the margins. I find patting works better than spreading as he material tends to pull itself out of the cavity (It sticks better to instruments than to the tooth). The use a sickle probe to pat the material with the tip oriented vertically (And covering both margins unlike in the picture I drew). Do this moving form one side to the cavity. If you do it early enough the material has enough flow to reform a convex surface adapting pretty well to the shape of the tooth. Then wait for the material to set a bit till the chalky firm stage (or light cure if needed). Once this is done use the sickle probe to tease the excess off. The flash will be thin and weak and will chip off pretty easily and the gic stuck to the gingiva will peel off pretty easily. It is a pretty messy process with plenty of excess flaking off everywhere but it works pretty well with minimal polishing needed which is really my weak spot in this process.

I'll keep you updated as my technique changes.