Consultants’ Comments

• “My assistants liked not having to hand mix the core material.”
• “Make a shorter mixing tip – a lot of material seems to be wasted.”
• “Include more mixing tips in the kit.”
• “Natural shade is ideal under all-ceramic restorations.”

Description

ALPHA-CORE DC is a highly filled, dual-cured composite core material supplied in an automix cartridge. The material is radiopaque and contains fluoride. ALPHA-CORE DC is intended for core build-ups and cementation of pins and posts when used with a 5th-generation dentin adhesive. The automix cartridge allows for direct placement of the material with intraoral tips. ALPHA-CORE DC is available in three shades: natural (approximately an A2 shade), white, and blue. Working time is 1.5 minutes; self-curing time is 5 minutes. Light curing of 4-mm layers requires 40 seconds. ALPHACORE DC is packaged in a 50-g cartridge with 10 mixing tips and 10 intraoral tips. Only the natural shade was evaluated. Twenty-five consultants evaluated ALPHA-CORE DC in over 225 uses. This product received an 88% clinical rating.

Product Features

The auto-mix cartridge delivery system of ALPHA-CORE DC was well received, and the material provides adequate working time. The narrow intraoral tips are bendable with finger pressure and allow accurate placement of material, but the cartridge requires a significant amount of pressure to extrude the material through the intraoral tip. The flow of ALPHA-CORE DC is ideal for use with posts or when a fairly large amount of tooth structure is remaining. When ALPHA-CORE DC was used in large cores, it was noted to slump and a stiffer material would have been preferred. ALPHA-CORE DC has fair adaptation to dentinal walls with minimal voids noted. The material cuts nicely and many consultants commented that it cut similarly to dentin. The instructions included with ALPHA-CORE DC are complete regarding handling of the material but do not recommend a specific bonding agent. Sixty-eight percent of consultants rated ALPHA-CORE DC the same or better than their current core material, while 55% would switch and 68% would recommend ALPHA-CORE DC to a colleague.

Clinical Tips

• The manufacturer recommends the use of a 5th-generation bonding agent. One with a dual-cured feature would be appropriate with a dual-cured core material.
• When using intraoral tips in canals before post placement, use a slow, steady pressure as the tip is moved from an apical to a more coronal position to allow for the escape of trapped air.
• Build up the core in increments, curing each section to allow the material to be stacked.