arious materials have been v used to restore posterior teeth, including amalgams, gold foil, cast alloys, porcelain, and resin composites. Current bonding systems and composites have improved, displacing amalgams, particularly in those cases in which the main concern is esthetics.'" Restoring posterior teeth with composites is a techniquesensitive task.3 Finishing and polishing procedures potentially risk damage to sound tooth structure, under-contour or over-contour of the restoration, and marring the mtorative margins.' *s Furthermore, the carving, adjustment, and polishh g of the occlusal morphology depend on the operator's skills and, at times, can be cumbersome and kngthy.6.' Composites experience the most wear during the first year after placement.8 Proper finishing md polishing procedures may curb this wear; howevec, the poor survival mta of posterior composite restorations have been associated with finishing and polishing procedure^.^ Despite the reduction in caries prevalence and need for direct restorations,1° hidden occlusal caries is a frequent finding in 14to 20-year-olds." These caries may leave the occlusal surface unscathed.12 The occlusal morphology of bicuspids and molars participates actively in the chewing process, and it is important to those aspects related to occlusion. For all of tbesc reasons several aschclinicians try to duplicate the pre operative occlusal surfooc in a simple, predictabk, and expalitive fashion that will achieve esthtic and functional composite restomtions in posterior o c e c h . ' . ' " ' ' niques have b r c p o r c c d by which The purpose of ti& arcide is to describe a new prefabricated devife
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