11. 12.

2022 Why Every Clinician Should Have Pink Composite in the Office - Spear Education

TECHNIQUES & MATERIALS

(/spear-review/category/techniques-materials/)

Why Every Clinician Should Have Pink

Composite in the O ice
By Greggory Kinzer (/spear-review/author/greggory-kinzer/) on July 2, 2015 |  SHARE

Composite resin plays a vital part in the daily practice of nearly

every clinician. Composite is esthetic (/spear-
review/2013/08/evaluating-facial-esthetics-facial-profile),
conservative and quick compared to indirect restorations and
can be used in a wide variety of clinical situations.
But what about ʻpinkʼ composite? Is it really necessary? I
believe that if you want to practice at a high esthetic level, pink
composite should be a part of your armamentarium.
So what are some of the indications for the use of pink composite? First of all, I would like to start by
saying that placing pink composite on exposed root surfaces, as shown below, is not the intended use.

A clinical situation such as this, is best treated with a surgical connective tissue root coverage
procedure, as seen below. This case is courtesy of Dr. Jim Janakievski.

Pink composite does, however, have a variety of uses. It can be used on provisional restorations to give
both the patient and the technician information on the final restorative design.

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11. 12. 2022 Why Every Clinician Should Have Pink Composite in the Office - Spear Education

Initial, implant (https://www.speareducation.com/spear-review/category/implants) provisional with pink composite,

definitive implant restoration with pink ceramic

Pink composite can also be used as a definitive restorative material. It can work exceptionally well to
help replace a missing papilla. The benefit of using it as a definitive material is that the esthetic color
match is done in the mouth, so it should be more easily made to blend with the natural tissue. In
addition, if the need ever arose to re-do the papilla, the material is easy to remove and replace. In these
situations, the papilla is typically the last thing that is done on the restoration prior to cementation. The
restoration can be air-abraded, etched with HFl and silanated outside the mouth, while the layering of
material can be done intra-orally. The final polish then can also be done outside the mouth.

Initial 3-unit FPD, definitive 3-unit FPD with a pink composite papilla between #6 and the pontic #7

Although pink composite is easily applied on multi-unit FPD restorations, both tooth and implant
supported, it can also be used on single units. However, if used on a single unit, it must be remembered
that the patient must still be able to easily perform conventional oral hygiene around the unit with a
toothbrush and floss.

Initial with pink ceramic papilla between #7-8, definitive restoration with pink composite papilla between #7-8

Pink composite may not be something that is used in practice every day, however when the need
arises, Iʼm glad I have it as a treatment option.
So do you use pink composite? Tell us in the comments!

Gregg Kinzer, D.D.S., M.S. is a member of Spear Resident Faculty

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