When I think about engineering a provisional cement, I realize how much we ask of these materials. With a provisional cement, we want a material that is easy to use and mix. It should set up quickly and hold on well. No one wants a weak temporary cement where we have to fight to keep temps on. We also want it to hold on exactly as long as we need it to. We want it to come off as soon as we put hemostats on it. If it does any of these things wrong, we get frustrated.
That is asking a lot of a single material! I think it is reasonable to expect that we will never find all of those qualities in one material. Or at least I thought that until now. UltraTemp REZ II by Ultradent meets all those qualifications. It just has one caveat, which I’ll get to in a minute.
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UltraTemp REZ II is a syringe-mixed provisional cement that comes in two speeds: fast set and regular set. It is a hydrophilic material with a resin-based chemistry that’s free from any eugenol products. This is great as it will not interfere with future resin bonding, if that’s needed on the final restoration. Regular set will be ready in two to three minutes. Fast set is done in one to two minutes.
UltraTemp REZ II is strong. If you need a provisional to last more than two weeks, it’s a great choice. If you are delivering crowns after three days, it might require a little fighting to get it off. It’s also a great choice for any partial-coverage restoration such as an onlay. Once cured, UltraTemp REZ II seals the margins very well. Less marginal leakage means less sensitivity and fewer post-op visits.
If there is one drawback to UltraTemp REZ II, it's that it must be refrigerated. This is not a deal-breaker, but it can be a concern. If your patient’s tooth is waking up from anesthesia when you deliver your provisional, the temperature of the refrigerated UltraTemp REZ II will certainly cause sensitivity. In addition to that, I don’t keep a fridge in the operatory. So my assistant has to hustle down the hallway to grab the UltraTemp REZ II from the break room.
Despite that hassle, it’s worth it to keep it chilled. It maximizes its strength and stability so we don’t have issues with our provisional. That is the only consideration to an otherwise perfect material. If you are looking for easy handling and great strength in a provisional cement, look no further than UltraTemp REZ II by Ultradent.
