Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
by Dr Van Ly, Manuka Family Dental, ACT
This is a circumferential matrix band that fits into a Tofflemire holder.
What’s good about it
The band is thin and contoured with a nice convexity and emergence profile for posterior teeth. It’s easy to use—there’s no learning curve; you just pop it in as you would a standard Tofflemire band. The band also has multiple tabs that can be tacked to adjacent teeth to ensure the contacts are tight. I don’t use them, but the results are still excellent. I came across Sure Band at a trade show and have been using them for a couple of months. The results are consistent and nicely anatomical.
The usual type of ring system is often unsuitable for posterior restorations involving a cusp. Sure Band works well with a broken-down molar or pre-molar and provides better results than your traditional Tofflemire band.
The shape at the base of the band nips in and then flares out. It imitates the shape of a regular tooth which, obviously, is not straight up and down. It comes in 5.5-millimetre and 6.5-millimetre sizes that covers most situations. On rare occasions, I’ll have a patient with long teeth and I wish they made a 7.5-millimetre version. All things considered, this is a great product.
What’s not so good
This matrix band is a full loop, and the band is really soft so it can be difficult to remove. If the molar has an exaggerated curve, sometimes you have to undo the whole thing to remove it. I’ve found that a probe tip inserted under the edge of a tab and lifted up can make it easier.
