Trying to keep track of bonding agent generations can make your head spin. Generations used to be based on number of bottles and what was in them. Now, with all the variations of “Universal” bonding agents, generation determination made a switch to being based on the indications of the material.
Optibond™ Universal (Kavo/Kerr) is an 8th generation bonding agent. What does that mean? It simply means it does it all, and all in one bottle. Looking to save some time and money all while not having to second guess if your bonding agent will also prime your ceramics and work with dual cure materials? Look no further than an 8th generation bonding agent.
Building on the long line of the Optibond™ family, Optibond™ Universal promises to simplify your bonding procedure and make it less technique sensitive. The manufacturer claims that this material can be used with self-etch, total etch, or selective etch techniques. They boast a thin film thickness of only ~5 microns. As shown in the selection guide below, it can be used with dual cure materials, without the need of a separate activator, direct restorations, and indirect restorations. There is one caveat to the indirect restorations. When using with metal based substrates (which they include zirconia and alumina based) or posts they state you should use only with NX3/Maxcem (yes, their proprietary brand) cements.
Droplet of Optibond Universal – Very thin film thickness
Optibond Universal uni-dose
Available in bottles or uni-dose dispensers
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team and our editorial board? – Extremely thin film thickness that had excellent wettability. – No need to air thin, just a quick 5 second dry to evaporate the monomer (after your 20 second scrub). – Claims to adhere better to self-etched enamel. We are excited to see what the evaluators find. – Testing in the Dental Advisor lab confirmed good bond strengths to self-etched enamel, self-etched dentin, zirconia, and lithium disilicate substrates. – A one bottle system is going to give convenience but no matter the system, you are going to loose some bond strength in exchange. – The smell seemed a little strong.
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for our clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
The Optibond™ (Kavo/Kerr) family of bonding agents boast what many would still agree are one of the gold standards in dental adhesion. Their two bottle bonding agents are still around, regardless of the one-bottle “Universal” bonding agent surge, because they just plain work well. Building on these most recently prompted the development of Optibond™ eXTRa Universal.
Here at the Dental Advisor, we recently received Optibond™ eXTRa Universal. The manufacturer claims that this two-bottle universal bonding agent can be used with self-etch, total etch, and selective etch techniques. As shown in the selection guide below, it can be used with dual cure materials (without the need of a separate activator), direct restorations, and indirect restorations.
What is head turning about this material are the great bond strengths. Testing in the Dental Advisor bio-materials lab not only confirmed the manufacturer’s claims of bond strengths to self-etched enamel, self-etched dentin, zirconia and lithium disilicate substrates, but also showed better bond strengths!
Bond strengths published by manufacturer
Dispensing Optibond eXTRa adhesive
Available in bottle and unidose dispensing
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team and our editorial board? – The great bond strengths this product possess might make it worth the extra time. – The adhesive has a little thicker film thickness. – The primer has to be scrubbed 20 seconds and air thinned 5 seconds followed by the adhesive being brushed for 15 seconds and air thinned 5 seconds prior to light curing.
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for our clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
Crown and bridge are a bread and butter procedure in most general dental offices. I want these procedures to be as predictable as possible; however, each clinical situation presents its own challenges. Different situations require different retraction and hemostasis needs. This is especially true in today’s digital dentistry world where gingival retraction is especially important to obtain clear margins on your scans.
Here at the Dental Advisor, we recently received Take 1 Retraction Paste (Kerr). This retraction paste is available in two viscosities. The Low Viscosity is recommended as an adjunct to your traditional two cord technique. The High Viscosity is recommended in situations where you can use it without the need for a cord. This paste contains 15% aluminum chloride and kaolin clay that provides hemostatis as well as gentle retraction. For further retraction they include retraction caps in the kit as well.
Take 1 Retraction Paste claims are that it is gentle, yet effective retraction and hemostasis in as little as 2 minutes (with a maximum of 10 minutes). They say it is easy to clean up with water and air spray without residue. Both materials can fit in any standard composite gun.
Two viscosities
Low viscosity being injected around model tooth
High viscosity being injected around model tooth
Enclosed retraction caps
High viscosity in standard composite gun
Low viscosity in standard composite gun
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team and our editorial board? – When expressing the low viscosity we were surprised at just how easy it extruded from the gun. It is very easy to extrude and place. – You will have no troubles reaching the distal of tooth #2 with the high viscosity! The additional tip adds a significant amount of length to the compule. – If you have used other retraction caps that were like very dense cotton rolls, you will notice a significant difference with the retraction caps included in this kit. They are very firm and more like a stiff foam material. We can see them firmly compressing that material into the sulcus and adding additional retraction. – We tried a variety of composite guns and the material fit in all of the styles we had with no problem.
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for our clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
