It was October 2016 when I got a call.
On the other end, a voice with a strong American accent said:
“Hi Marco, I’m David (Clark). Where exactly is your office in Europe? I’m doing a business trip and I was thinking of visiting you.”
My reply was a bit pushy—after all, I’m based in southern Italy (Sicily to be precise), not exactly the center of Europe, nor close to any major dental venue.
I was sure the answer would be: “Oh, sorry, you’re too far. Maybe next time.”
But that wasn’t the case.
Instead, he said he’d fly to Catania the very next day, as casually as someone crossing town for dinner.
“Be ready in the afternoon. Save me three hours,” he said.
I canceled all my appointments. I wasn’t sure he’d really show up. I wasn’t sure three hours would be enough.
But I knew one thing: I wouldn’t get a second chance anytime soon.
The next afternoon, he showed up—with Niels, the Central Europe rep at that time.
We spent hours together, working on models, studying matrices, discussing the tiny details that change the final outcome.
Then he showed me a slide—the same one I’m posting now.
On the left: a layered composite restoration (horizontal layering with conventional sectional matrices).
The surface? Rough. Grainy. Crude.
On the right: an injected surface. No instruments, no polishing.
Just perfection. Smooth. Void-free. Invisible margins.
It wasn’t a fair comparison. It looked almost fake.
I couldn’t believe it.
He left Sicily that same evening—no hotel, no dinner, just one meeting and gone.
But that comparison got stuck in my head.
So I repeated the experiment the next day. Then again.
And honestly?
There was no match. Injected surfaces weren’t just better.
They were on another level.
Not only in vitro, but also in vivo.
I had been injecting since 2014, but that day I truly realized the full potential of injection molding.
Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate these restorations more and more.
I’ve let go of certain compromises—like sculpting detailed occlusal anatomy—and focused on what really matters.
Because there’s no such thing as perfection in dentistry.
It’s all about priorities.
In the early days, esthetic was my top priority.
Now?
It’s biomechanics, long-term success, predictable contacts, and patient satisfaction.
Super-aesthetic is no longer at the top of my list—and honestly, I don’t feel I’m missing anything.
In the real world, we work under pressure, time limits, daily chaos.
What makes the real difference is not doing everything, but doing the right things.
As Pareto taught us:
20% of choices create 80% of outcomes.
Injection molding has been part of that 20%.
And it changed everything.
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🔺 Want to learn how to apply this in your everyday practice?
On November 7–8, join us in Milan for the
Injectable Restorations European Summit
We’ll talk Bioclear, Flow Injection, I-Veneers, margin management, and protocols that actually work—in real life.
