FenderWedge® and FenderMate™: A New Standard for Class II Preparations
Directa AB is a Swedish manufacturing and supply company that is dedicated to introducing innovative, high-quality, useful products into the dental marketplace. Their products are developed and clinically tested by highly skilled and renowned dental practitioners, which has led them to adopt their new philosophy and motto: Design by Dentists.
Procedures such as class II filling, matrix placing, temporary restoration creating, core building, and fracture-free extracting are some of the applications onto which Directa AB has focused its resources over the years. A number of highly innovative and unique dental products have come out of research conducted by its team of experts and consultants. FenderWedge® and FenderMate™ are just two examples of the results from their continuous effort to introduce better products into the dental marketplace. These products have been making a big impact on global dentistry.
The act of preparing for a class II filling poses a major risk of damaging the adjacent tooth. According to research,1-3 adjacent teeth are damaged in up to 66% of all cases. Until now, the shield on many protection methods loosens when the approximal contact point is cut away, thus increasing the risk of accidental aspiration of the shield. The need for improved protection methods led Directa AB to design and develop FenderWedge, a plastic wedge with an attached vertical stainless steel band (0.08 mm in width) that protects the adjacent tooth and, at the same time, separates the teeth for optimal restoration of the contact point (Figure 1). The FenderWedge holds securely in place throughout the whole preparation.
FenderWedge is inserted into the approximal space as easy as any other wedge on the market (Figure 2). As the FenderWedge jams into place, it secures the positioning of the vertical stainless steel band. As a result, the band will not dislodge from its wedge as excavation for class II preparation occurs (Figure 3). As the wedge component of the FenderWedge creates interdental separation, the vertical stainless steel band automatically establishes correct positioning for the creation of a good contact point. Certainly, this makes FenderWedge useful when practicing minimally invasive dentistry. Plus, the comfort of knowing that 0.08 mm of metal is helping to protect healthy teeth against needless damage is simply priceless (Figure 4).
FenderWedge is available in four color-coded wedge widths; x-small (purple, 1 mm), small (orange, 1.4 mm), medium (green, 1.9 mm) and large (yellow, 2.3 mm). Designed to accommodate all interdental spaces, they are available in single-sized boxes of 36 wedges or in an assorted kit of 144 wedges (one box of each size).
Often, a sectional matrix technique is chosen for its high-quality results for normal-sized class II preparations. Most sectional matrix systems are applied starting with the placement of the matrix, which is secured with a wedge of suitable size. The matrix is held against the tooth surface with a retentive ring, which separates the teeth helping with the creation of a good contact point. This is a functional, but time-consuming and complicated procedure.
In Directa’s quest to design high-quality useful products, the next logical step after the FenderWedge was the development of FenderMate, a revolutionary wedge and section matrix combined (Figure 5). The FenderMate offers a two-in-one step procedure like nothing else on the market. After pre-separation of the interdental space with FenderWedge, the FenderWedge is removed and replaced by the FenderMate (Figure 6). On insertion, the FenderMate’s unique design forces the winged wedge to press the affixed matrix securely against the surface while adapting to the curvature the tooth. The matrix then is detached from the wedge and shaped around the tooth (Figure 7). The placement of the specially designed Directa retentive ring firmly secures the matrix, creating further separation (Figure 8). Burnishing the matrix ensures that the best possible contact point is accessible and finishes the application procedure (Figure 9). After filling the prepared tooth with composite and completing the procedure by light-curing, the retentive ring, wedge, and matrix are removed easily.
FenderMate is available in two wedge widths, regular and narrow, for both left and right applications. The collapsing “wing” accommodates most approximal spaces. They are color-coded for easy identification, and made from food-approved plastic (polypropene) and coloring and a 0.02-mm stainless steel matrix. The thinness of the matrix allows for easy shaping, burnishing, and contouring to the patient’s tooth. They are packed in boxes of 18 single-sized pieces (regular right, narrow right, regular left, narrow left) or in an assortment kit of 64 pieces (one box of each size). Retentive rings are available in a box of six pieces and can be heat sterilized or autoclaved.
The combined use of FenderWedge and FenderMate sets a new standard in dentistry with its tissue-friendly approach for the preparation and filling of class II cavities. The FenderWedge protects the adjacent tooth and separates the teeth, thus creating a perfect contact point; while the FenderMate aids fast and efficient restorations with one-piece wedge and matrix application.
References
1. Qvist V, Johannessen L, Bruun M. Progression of approximal caries in relation to iatrogenic preparation damage. J Dent Res. 1992;71(7):1370-1373.
2. Lussi A, Gygax M. Iatrogenic damage to adjacent teeth during classical approximal box preparation. J Dent. 1998;26(5-6):435-441.
3. Medeiros VA, Seddon RP. Iatrogenic damage to approximal surfaces in contact with Class II restorations. J Dent. 2000;28(2):103-110.
For more information, contact:
JS Dental Mfg, Inc.
Phone: 800-284-3368
Fax: 203-431-8485
Web site: www.jsdental.com
E-mail: sales@jsdental.com
Disclaimer
The preceding material was provided by the manufacturer. The statements and opinions contained therein are solely those of the manufacturer and not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dentistry. The preceding is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval for the aforementioned products or services or their effectiveness, quality, or safety on the part of Inside Dentistry or AEGIS Communications. The publisher disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in the preceding material.
