I find that when packing restorative composite, it sometimes seems to pull away from the walls of the preparation – I question the complete adaptation to all of the walls of my preparation.

One suggestion would be to try Surefil SDR Flow (DENTSPLY Caulk). This is a flowable composite that can be bulk cured in 4 mm increments. It adapts intimately to the cavity walls because of its self-leveling feature, eliminating the need for manipulation inside the preparation. It is recommended for Class I and Class II restorations. A surface layer of restorable composite is usually placed at the occlusal or facial limit of the preparation.