I read a piece in a dental journal last year that looked at failure rates over ten years and the gap for molars was bigger than I expected, like composite was failing way more often in that back and forth grinding zone. There was this one part about how the bond breaks down at the edges over time, especially if the prep is deep or the patient grinds. I still use composite for anteriors and small stuff, no question, but for a big molar prep I lean amalgam now or at least talk to the patient about it. Not saying composite is bad, I just got burned once and that article kind of sealed it for me.

Ugh been there, did a whole run of grab bars last winter in a shop that never got above 40 and had two pop on me before I started dragging the torch over the joint first just to knock the chill off. Now I keep a temp stick in my pouch and anything under 50 gets a slow pass with the rosebud before I even think about laying wire. Cold steel will bite you every time, man.