tips and tricks

 This is just a reminder for myself to know when to call it quits for extractions. I've set a rule for myself in the past that if I'm trying a strategy e.g luxation for 5 minutes or 3 times and have made no progress then I should progress to the next best strategy e.g sectioning the tooth or raising a flap. Pushing on especially when there is some mobility can be tempting but when there is mobility and it is not changing after 5 minutes, there is some bulbosity, root curve, dense bone or path of removal issue that is holding me up. Pushing through can sometimes be successful but if you haven't made any progress in five minutes it is likely that you will just draw out the extraction and stress yourself and the patient out. Instead, make the procedure easier on yourself and progress the procedure on. Today I was wrestling with a difficult wisdom tooth and kept trying different instruments for elevation with no avail. I knew after a while it became ridiculous and yet kept on w

 Today I did a diastema closure in composite resin and have a tip on how to handle the matrix band during the procedure. There was uneven addition to both central incisors so I used a clear strip to contain the material for the addition to the first one. I decided to do the tooth that needed the least addition first to allow the most space when doing the second one to place composite. I packed cord and then teflon tape to retract the gingiva to allow me to take the material subgingival for emergence and to block fluid for moisture control. Holding the clear strip wrapped around the tooth i packed small amounts of composite in with a microbrush. I packed this all the way down to the base of the matrix band. The teflon and tightness around the tooth prevented extrusion of the composite and overhangs without a wedge. Even if there was some extrusion, this could be polished off before the other tooth was bonded to. Once I cured the cervical portion, I took the clear strip off and built the