First impressions are important and in restorative dentistry, it is gratifying if your first impression is the lasting one!

There have been significant advances in the science and technology of impression materials and techniques. Attempts have been made to simplify impression techniques and make them more predictable and practical. This lecture will discuss recent advances in impression materials and the attempts to improve the hydrophilicity of polyvinyl siloxane materials. However, a hydrophobic impression material may provide a more convenient alternative. Different brands of impression materials will be compared and their respective merits discussed. Advice will be provided on which material to use in different clinical situations.

The presentation will also provide many handy tips to make soft tissue retraction and haemorrhage control much easier. The latest temporisation techniques for fixed prosthodontics will be compared and techniques on how to make beautiful temporaries quickly and simply will be shared.

The lecture will provide an overview of the development of resin-based adhesives for application to bonding to dentine and how these systems have markedly improved in recent years.

An explanation of recent adhesive systems, their mechanism of bonding and clinical research outcomes will also be provide practitioners with information of how to obtain clinical success.

Treatment of patients with extensively worn and badly broken down dentitions often presents as a difficult clinical challenge. Restoration is usually complex and it is both costly and time consuming to implement. There is a growing range of new materials and techniques available for cost effective and conservative management of these cases.

Long term success however, is very much dependant on risk assessment and undertaking a systematic approach to prevent early restorative failure, rapid recurrence of the problems and the repeat restoration cycle. To ensure the successful restoration of complex cases it is critical to develop stability in the oral environment where these large restorative reconstructions are undertaken.

This presentation will outline some recommendations for the successful aesthetic and functional management of complex restorative patients including clinical evaluation and risk assessment of patients, techniques for stabilisation of the oral environment and cost effective treatment strategies for obtaining long term stability and restorative success.

Computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture of all ceramic systems and high-strength ceramic materials have become integral parts of modern dentistry since the introduction of the Procera System two decades ago. Densely sintered alumina has a flexural strength of over 610 MPa and while zirconium oxide ceramics provide an even higher fracture resistance, alumina features a higher degree of translucency. These restorations may therefore be preferred in situations of aesthetic significance.

The fracture strength of alumina full crowns has permitted cementation with a range of systems, including adhesive bonding resins, self adhesive luting resins, and non-chemically bonding cements. Nonetheless the unique properties of the various cements may influence the success of all ceramic crowns.

Research that will help the clinician in decision making on cements will be presented and the pre-treatment of all ceramic crowns will be reviewed.

This lecture encourages dentists to be sceptical about new technologies and about some long-held ideas in restorative dentistry.

Many of the new ideas we are embracing and some we have held for many years do not stand up to scientific scrutiny.