Three basic opacities enable you to create transparency where necessary or to avoid it in areas where greater coverage is required. The most opaque variant within the CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 family is Premium Dentin and the semi-translucent variant is Premium Enamel. Between these two opacities is the semi-opaque Classic variant.

In certain situations—for instance, for the reproduction of the incisal edge of a central incisor, where a translucent zone is naturally present—the use of a more translucent composite is necessary. However, it is often the opacity of a composite that we wish to harness in order to cover up underlying (irregular) discoloration. To do this, the use of a translucent composite is clearly not desirable. In this situation, the most opaque variant would be your first choice of composite.

CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 is a forgiving composite. It blends seamlessly with the adjacent tooth structure. This is because CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 incorporates light-diffusing technology, making it possible to produce the entire VITA range using only VITA A shades. It’s nevertheless important to bear in mind the potential grey effect, however.

In our endeavour to reproduce nature, we need to step away from the notion that artificial materials should do all the work for us. Natural enamel cannot be replaced by translucent composite! Why is this? The most important factor is the difference in value. Natural enamel increases in value in parallel with its thickness, while with translucent composites, the value decreases.

We’ve all been there: we apply the very best anatomical layering techniques, only to arrive at a somewhat disappointing result that looks too grey. This can be explained by the fact that, as a manufacturer—and we’re certainly not alone here—we have created some confusion by giving composites names that include the words “dentine” and “enamel”. These names suggest that these materials can be used as a replacement for natural dental tissue. Owing to the completely different optical properties of dental tissue and composite, this can only be achieved within a spectrum that is frequently too narrow.

Therefore, when it comes to the use of the more translucent composite variants, I recommend a cautious approach: only use them when transparency is essential.

The greatest challenge is a Class IV restoration. There is a tendency to use dentine composite up to the dentine–enamel junction. I would recommend not doing this, but instead applying it right up to the outermost edge of the restoration. Depending on the desired end result, you should only use the more translucent CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 variants, Classic or Enamel, in the incisal third.

Since all three variants of the CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 have virtually the same filler percentages, the transition from one type to the other is seamless. During finishing, you won’t even notice the transition between the different variants. The polishability of each variant is identical too.

All of these qualities make CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 your number one aesthetic composite for the effortless creation of natural-looking aesthetic restorations in both the anterior and posterior regions.

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