Principles of proximal cavity preparation and finishing with ultrasonic diamond tips.

Conventional treatment of proximal cavities can result in significant damage to the adjacent dentition. This paper describes a recently developed technique of proximal cavity preparation and finishing by use of selectively diamond-coated, ultrasonically driven instruments. By using these instruments for composite, compomer, ceramic, amalgam, and even gold restorations, the inadvertent damage to neighboring teeth is completely avoided. This article demonstrates the effective utilization of the diamond-tipped ultrasonic instruments for the preparation of primary lesions and the replacement of existing restorations.