In restorative dentistry we have often used "tack" curing in the process of bonding indirect restorations in order to facilitate cleaning up resin cement in areas difficult to access. In this process, we often will "soft cure" the resin cement and then use sharp instruments such as a Bard Parker #12 blade to remove the excess and then finish curing the restoration.This allows us to remove excess cement in difficult to access areas more readily and then come back and finish curing the restoration.
With this in mind, years ago I began using this same technique in my Class III, IV and V restorations. I have found over the years that even with the best intentions I would still have ledges or overhangs that once cured, were quite difficult to remove. So I started to place the resin and cure it for a fraction of the time; with today's new LED lights this really only takes a few seconds.
I then use a sharp #12 Bard Parker surgical blade and literally shave away the excess in this area. Once I have a smooth marginal area, I then finish curing the restoration. It takes some time to develop your own technique (i.e. resin used, curing light, instruments, etc.), but if you try this technique, I think you'll find finishing some of those more difficult areas will become a lot easier. I have used this technique successfully for years and have not seen any negative issues.
Jeff Lineberry, DDS, Visiting Faculty. [ www.jefflineberrydds.com ]