Let’s be honest. Most of us do not use rubber dam as much as we probably should. It is the gold standard in isolation. However, when someone brings up using a rubber dam, most of us think of the challenges we have had with it over the years more than the benefits. One of those challenges is having it rip on you after it’s been punched and you stretch it out to put it over the teeth.
We recently received Polyisoprene Dental Dams(Hedy®) here at the Dental Advisor. What makes this product unique? According to the manufacturer this product is latex free; however, has similar physical characteristics to natural rubber, has excellent tear resistance, is powder free, and boasts an impressive 1230% elongation and 76N/mm tear strength. Available in sizes 5″ x 5″ and 6″ x 6″ in heavy and medium weights.
Polyisoprene Dental Dam placed on tear strength testing machine in Dental Advisor Biomaterials Lab
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team and our editorial board? – Although we did not do any official testing… when a product boasts 1230% elongation and 76 N/mm tear strength we cannot pass on putting it on the tear strength testing equipment in the Dental Advisor Biomaterials Lab. The results were rather impressive (images above).
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!
As a public health dentist, not unlike a general practioner, one always finds them-self trouble shooting. Nothing was ever what it seemed on the schedule. A “missing filling” was probably a sheered off entire buccal of a tooth, a “re-cement crown” probably had the tooth and/or core buildup in the crown, and even a restoration was likely caries so large I was sweating bullets the whole time because I knew the pulp was likely tenths of a millimeter away. I always had to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Because of this, I really liked having versatile products in my office.
We recently received Biodentine® (Septodont) bioactive dentin substitute. According to the manufacturers it has a high amount of calcium and hydroxide ions released upon setting, it has similar mechanical properties as dentin allowing bulk fill, and mechanical strength increases as the restoration sets.
This is a very versatile material. It can be used for adults and pediatric patients:
In the crown: temporary enamel restoration, permanent dentin restoration, deep or large carious lesions, deep cervical or radicular lesions, pulp capping, pulpotomy.
In the root: root and furcation perforations, internal/external resorptions, apexification, retrograde surgical filling.
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team and our editorial board? – Capsule mixing system rather than traditional powder liquid is much more convenient. – Interesting that you have to add the drops to the capsule yourself prior to triturating. – First mix was a little powdery still, but second mix was extremely creamy and very easy to place and manipulate. – Great option that you can replace enamel for up to 6 months if you are letting a tooth heal. – 10 to 12 minute set time. – Being able to bulk fill dentin replacement is a great benefit of this material.
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for a possible clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
I spent 10 years as a dental assistant before going dental school. In that time I acquired some super powers. Super Hearing: I could hear if my doctor needed something from clear across the building, Psychic Powers: I knew what my doctor was going to need before they even knew what they were going to need, and a Hulk Right Hand: from squirting out heavy body impression material on a routing basis.
Here at the Dental Advisor we recently received the PowerMix™ (Clinician’s Choice) automatic impression material dispenser. What makes this different from some automatic impression material dispensers is that it is cordless and portable (weighing in at 2 pounds). According to the manufacturers it dispenses void-free impression material at the press of a button, filling a full arch impression tray in only 10 seconds! The impression material is proprietary, so you have to use their material that fits into the unit. You can dispense the material either using the dispenser hand held or leave it in the cradle, which is portable.
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team? – The entire unit is very portable, it would be easy to hop from operatory to operatory with this. – When using handheld, the shape is kind of awkward to hold in your hand. – Talk about fast! It filled a full arch tray in no time, as promised. – Very smooth dispensing of material.
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!
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!
As a dentist coming from public health, I have a love/hate relationship with glass ionomer (GI) restorative materials. The obvious benefits of fluoride release and recharge make them ideal for patients with high caries rates; however, the poor esthetics and difficult handling properties made them a challenge in my day to day practice. New advances in GI restorative materials have significantly improved on the esthetics, handling properties, moisture tolerance and strength of these materials.
Here at the Dental Advisor we recently received EQUIA Forte™ HT FIL (GC America). This GI restorative material is the latest in the EQUIA Forte™ family of materials and it boasts many improvements over its predecessors. The manufacturer claims this material is easy to contour and has non-sticky handling. New particles and fillers make for a more translucent, esthetic restoration. It is indicated for class I, class V, and class II non-stress bearing cavity preparations, as you would expect from a GI restorative material; however, with the proper technique, this material is also indicated for stress-bearing class II restorations!
EQUIA Forte being expressed into model tooth
EQUIA Forte Coat being placed on final restoration
EQUIA Forte and EQUIA Forte Coat packaging and dispensing
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team and our editorial board? – We were surprised at how creamy the material was when expressed. It made filling the cavity preparation and handling easy. – There is an additional step required in the placement of EQUIA Forte™ Coat. This monomer material improves wear resistance to the restoration, as was explained to me by Matt Cowen (Matt heads up the research here at the DA Lab); however, as a clinician I am thinking about how it also adds more time to the procedure and requires me to get my curing light out. – We are finding that more and more offices are no longer investing in triturators, which would be a barrier to using this particular material. – The EQUIA Forte™ Coat added a very nice finish and seal to the restoration.
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!
