With extensive cavities requiring a large amount of composite resin material, the incremental method is stil preferred over the bulk method as it ensures a more adequate polymerization and minimizes and compensates for the inherent polymerization shrinkage.

However, a problem may occur if there is no intimate adaptation between composite increments resulting to voids or bubbles in between in each layer of composite. Voids or porosities in composite restorations may predispose to increased water sorption, decreased degree of conversion due to oxygen inhibition from the entrapped air, surface roughness and reduced abrasion resistance among other things.