Lava Ultimate is proving to be a great new option we have to offer our patients. It is indicated for inlays, onlays, crowns, veneers and implant-supported restorations. Its speed is a great asset. There is no firing necessary, so we are able to go from prep to cementation very quickly. The material also mills very nicely and is super-accurate.

As an added benefit, it is repairable both intra- and extra-orally. This means that shy contacts or other slight discrepancies can be easily fixed. Keep in mind that often it may be better to correct a problem in the design phase and re-mill. Repairing, however, is a nice option to have.

Extra-orally, it is recommended to roughen the area to be repaired with a coarse diamond or stone. Or you can air abrade with 50 micron aluminum oxide. Then clean the restoration with normal detergent in an ultrasonic cleaner. Intra-orally, roughen with a coarse diamond or stone and air dry.

It is then recommended to use 3M ESPE Adper Easy Bond Self Etch to the roughened area and air dry 2-5 seconds. Then light cure for for 10 seconds. You can then repair with any Methacrylate-based light-cured restorative material. The manufacturer suggests 3M Filtek Supreme Ultra. Shape, light cure, adjust and polish as usual.

It's a simple procedure and one that is important to be aware of as an option to a full re-mill or removal and remake. As far as longevity, we all need to see how these repairs will last. It's just an option that we can take advantage of. Evaluation on a case-by-case basis is best.