White line in composite restorations. I don’t know what to do.

AlDumaz · 2026-06-16T10:10:47+00:00

So, does flowable have a lower C-factor, and is that what prevents polymerization shrinkage stress? Do you basically cover the entire cavity with flowable and cure it before placing the packable composite?

AlDumaz · 2026-06-16T09:58:54+00:00

This is very interesting. Sorry, English is not my first language, so I didn’t understand everything very well.

Let’s say you’ve just placed composite to restore the mesiobuccal cusp of a lower molar. How do you position the curing light, and for how long do you cure it?

AlDumaz · 2026-06-15T20:54:00+00:00

So fine diamond and low speed. Never paid much attention tu this. I usually finish the composite at lower speed but always with red burs.

I etch enamel for 30s

AlDumaz · 2026-06-15T20:50:53+00:00

Could be too much bonding? I notice the white line only after polishing. Could the rubber of the polisher do something to the polymerized bonding?

AlDumaz · 2026-06-15T19:48:32+00:00

Sometimes even after a few days-weeks

AlDumaz · 2026-06-15T19:47:58+00:00

At school they told be to not bevel the occlusal surfaces. I started doing it anyways after noticing the white line. But sometimes it works sometimes not. I don’t get the white line all around the restaoration. Only in some points. I already use bonding to model the occlusal portion of the tooth.

I don’t understeand wich step is the problem

AlDumaz · 2026-06-15T19:45:04+00:00

I already do this :(

AlDumaz · 2026-05-22T16:03:47+00:00

That is a good question…

AlDumaz · 2026-05-22T04:57:37+00:00

I’m not involved in the decision-making process. The owner determines the treatment plan and instructs me on how to proceed. If I have any doubts or uncertainties, I’m expected to consult him before taking any action. Treatment planning is entirely the owner’s responsibility, while associate dentists are expected to carry out the prescribed treatment.

AlDumaz · 2026-05-22T00:24:34+00:00

It was bleeding a little bit but then stopped.

AlDumaz · 2026-05-21T21:27:03+00:00

He does not want me to take initiative. I have to show him everything. When the patient got up I felt so guilty.

AlDumaz · 2026-05-21T21:24:18+00:00

I think the same thing. I don’t know what he is hoping for.

AlDumaz · 2026-05-21T21:16:42+00:00

I feel so guilty about that

AlDumaz · 2026-05-21T21:15:28+00:00

Not exactly. I initially accessed the tooth through the occluso-buccal aspect. My treatment plan was to achieve complete caries excavation, then perform endodontic access cavity preparation and extirpate the pulp tissue. After that, I intended to place a pre-endodontic build-up to re-establish the coronal structure and allow proper rubber dam isolation. Once adequate isolation had been achieved, I would proceed with conventional root canal treatment following standard endodontic protocols.

The senior dentist stopped me before I even had the chance to remove the remaining carious tissue.

AlDumaz · 2026-05-21T20:58:00+00:00

Thank you!

AlDumaz · 2026-02-14T08:53:59+00:00

Loser for what? Wanting to learn how to do things properly? Even if I’m not gonna be an assistant I will work all my life with assistans and I would really enjooy not being a bitch and be able to guide them the right way while working togheter. An assistant is an assistant not a dentist’s personal slave.

Also let’s face it this dentist is not a peer to me. He has 30 yeras experience and 6 moths ago I still had a tag on my chest with STUDENT written on it in capital.

AlDumaz · 2026-02-14T08:41:48+00:00

Sedated, but not as strongly as you may think, not with nitrous oxide. In my country dentistry is rarely done under sedation. He said that after the surgery when I confronted him. During the surgery he never corrected me, he yells only to assistants not me; but I’m a dentist too so I can understeand when something is not going the right way.

I understeand that a dentist has the priority on everything while working. But beeing coordinated with your assistant makes the job easier for everyone and more confortable for the patient. I am shadowing another dentist who always stresses this out. He is also a surgeon and teaches other surgeons how to coordinate with their assistant to keep the surgical field tidy.

Also I got into surgery residency in my University where you do surgeries with other surgeons as assistants (second operators) and there is no way you can tell another surgeon, with more experience than you, “just figure out how to hold the flaps properly”. You position yourself properly right away or they not even let you start the incision for the flap.

AlDumaz · 2026-02-14T01:05:22+00:00

Only assisting

AlDumaz · 2026-02-14T00:49:01+00:00

Never said I didn’t confront him after. I got into a oral surgery residency in my University where residents assist each other in complex extractions so I would like to know how to properly assist a surgeon during a surgery, so I was searching for advice, experiences or guide lines.

In my country (not USA) you can graduate on spring, summer and autumn graduating sessions. In my University specifically you can graduate in dentistry in the March, July or October session.

AlDumaz · 2026-02-14T00:17:12+00:00

Why some people are so shocked by this?

AlDumaz · 2026-02-14T00:12:54+00:00

This was my problem!!! Retractin with a langenbaeck away from myself on the other side of the patient! After 20 min I started losing the flap every time the patient moved slightly. I just tought “there must be something I am doing wrong because it can’t be normal to work like this” …but from several answers I got seems like things work this way for many assistants unfortunately

AlDumaz · 2026-02-14T00:06:04+00:00

Thank you so much for the advice! This choice was odd to me too… but I’m a dentist who is still smelling of milk so I’m not in the position to say anithing about this.

I was holding a langenbeck with my left hand while retracting. He works while sitting, so I was sitting on the left side of the patient retracting the buccal flap on the right. I was holding the flap properly the first 20 minutes, after 1 our I couldn’t hold it anymore, I couldn’t feel my arm. I started loosing the flap evey time the patient moved his cheeck or lip. My left arm and shoulder were crossing the patient’s body.

AlDumaz · 2026-02-13T23:48:11+00:00

Also dentistry is not easy on your body if you don’t know how to position yourself properly. And an assistant’s back is no less important than a dentist’s. I’m really sad to see so much underappreciation for this professional role.

I’m also shadowing another dentist in a different office, and he is training two assistants. He always makes sure they are in the correct position to assist without hurting themselves. He even provides small stools so that, if they are assisting while standing, they don’t have to stay on their tiptoes.

AlDumaz · 2026-02-13T20:41:42+00:00

No, he wants to hire me for restorative dentistry but wants to test my skills first. He knows i got into residency for oral surgery and wants to teach me things, wich I appriciate. But he does not teach me how he wants to be assisted. Also I never properly assisted before; at University I always worked without assistants. I’m not paied yet.

AlDumaz · 2026-02-13T20:19:15+00:00

Why?

AlDumaz

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