I have it—you want it!

This highly esthetic, light-cured resin contains these ions in a “stackable” resin matrix that holds its shape and does not slump. This durable product is resistant to fracturing and wear—especially so on the thin areas of enamel bevels—and is indicated for all restorative procedures replacing dentin and/or enamel, anterior or posterior.

What is unique to this product is Pulpdent’s proprietary rubberized resin component that absorbs stress and flexes just like dentin. We first saw this chemistry in Pulpdent’s long-term provisional material Tuff-Temp Plus, and then again in Pulpdent’s innovative bioactive materials, such as Activa Base/Liner and Activa Restorative.

Activa Presto is available in a 1.2 mL syringe for easy application, and you no longer need a special dispensing gun to apply the material. Consequently, placement of the resin is precise and highly adaptive to the cavity margins. Activa Presto contains no bis-GMA, no bisphenol A, and no BPA derivatives. It is highly radiopaque (250%), so it can be easily followed on radiographs. There are eight esthetic shades: A1, A2, A3, A3.5, B1, BW, and two darker cervical shades, A4 and A6, which can be useful in geriatric patients. So, if you want to provide some esthetic “magic” in your restorations, Activa Presto is the right material for you.

Composi-Tight 3D Fusion Firm matrix band by Garrison Dental Solutions

Nearly three years ago, I wrote about a sectional matrix band ring system that I found easy to use and offered a little different approach. Garrison Dental Solutions’ Composi-Tight 3D Fusion Ring System helped to ensure a tight, secure contact with composite restorations. Now Garrison has introduced the Composi-Tight 3D Fusion Firm Band. It has eZ Place technology that helps the band maintain its shape during placement and (as the name implies) is easier to place.

The stainless steel band undergoes a proprietary forming process that allows it to resist deformation (up to 70% better than dead soft bands, according to the manufacturer)¹ and is precontoured and superthin at only 0.0015 inches. These are ideal in especially tight interproximal areas, which means you can maintain a minimally invasive prep and preserve more tooth structure. Of course, these can be used with Garrison’s short blue ring and tall orange ring, which have the ultragrip, nonslip, soft silicone extension that prevents the rings from springing off.

Mesial-occlusal-distal restorations (MODs) are easily treated with the stackable feature of these rings, which also allow for greater visibility. They come in five sizes and require no special instrumentation. With tight contacts so critical to maintaining gingival health, there is no doubt this new firm band will help you provide a healthy and quality restoration. 

Reference

1. Matrix bands. Garrison Dental Solutions website. https://www.garrisondental.com/en/matrix-bands/composi-tight-3d-fusion-firm-matrix-bands. Accessed December 16, 2019.

Predicta Bioactive Core by Parkell Inc.

Restoring an endodontically treated tooth is a great responsibility. By doing the root canal therapy, we have maintained the best implant in the world—nature’s own root that is already osseointegrated. Now, the responsibility of creating a core has been made more predictable, and the success will be enhanced by the material-tooth interface. 

Predicta Bioactive Core is a bioactive, dual-cure composite resin ideally suited for a core buildup because of its release of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride ions that mimic lost tooth structure and stimulate apatite formation, along with remineralization. This material is radiopaque, dimensionally stable, easy to handle, and strong, and its physical properties are quite like natural dentin. You can use this for post cementation and core buildup in one procedure, making it quite time efficient. 

Predicta Bioactive Core is available in automix 5 ml syringes in various shades: Flowable White, Flowable Tooth Shade, Stackable White (my favorite), and Stackable Tooth Shade. If you want a “predictable core” that contains zirconia, has an unlimited depth of cure, and will resist flexing, I would suggest Predicta Bioactive Core.