Pearls for Your Practice: Clearfil Universal Bond Quick 2, LM-Arte Dark Diamond Restorative Instruments, Invisalign Palatal Expander
Clearfil Universal Bond Quick 2
There are a lot of terrible sounds in a dental office. I think I hear more from my patients about fear of the sound of the handpiece than I do about pain from the injections. Because of this, I try to always keep music going in the office. One of my favorite songs to hear in the office is “The Waiting” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The first line of the chorus goes, “The waiting is the hardest part …” With bonding, that can be true. The chemicals we use in bonding need time to do what they need to do to the dentin and enamel. We are often in a rush and move to the next step before adequate time has passed, compromising the bond. We have two options to address this: 1) change our innate human nature; or 2) use products that work more quickly. The latter is now possible, thanks to Kuraray and their newest bonding agent, Clearfil Universal Bond Quick 2.
Kuraray is obviously a giant name in bonding. Clearfil is their flagship brand and has been providing great bonding results for over 30 years. With their newest product, Clearfil Universal Bond Quick 2, they are taking aim at increasing reliability for one-step bonding thanks to their Advanced Rapid Bond technology. This technology uses the MDP monomer, an original revelation of dentin bonding invented by Kuraray in the early 1980s. In addition, they use amide and urethane monomers to bond to dentin immediately without the wait. Most other bonding agents require some time to be applied to dentin to produce the best bond. Because of their advanced technology, you can simply apply the Clearfil Universal Bond Quick 2, immediately begin to air thin for five seconds, then cure. Because dentists are impatient, this is probably what you are doing anyway … just not with an adhesive that is designed for it!
Clearfil Universal Bond Quick 2 can be used in a self-etch, selectiveetch, or total-etch method, depending on your philosophy and preferred technique. I am a selective-etch fan and use that technique whenever I have enamel present. With industryleading bond strength, you can expect more than 50 mpa of tensile strength with this product. In addition, Clearf il Universal Bond Quick 2 is part of a suite of products that can provide excellence in restorative dentistry for your practice. It pairs with Panavia SA Cement for indirect restorations and Clearfil DC Core Plus for post and core restorations. This means that just three Kuraray products can handle any restorations, from direct to indirect to endodontically treated teeth!
Restorative dentistry is difficult, and we must have products we believe in to perform at our best. The waiting is the hardest part, but now you don’t have to wait! Triple to right center field for Kuraray!
LM-Arte Dark Diamond Restorative Instruments
My wife and I recently got in on the pickleball craze. We were reluctant at first, because it seemed like a bit of a geriatric hobby. After playing with some friends during their birthday party, we were pleasantly surprised at how much fun we had. Now we usually have a court reserved at our gym every weekend; we have a blast and get a great workout. It’s an all-around good time, except for a few weeks ago when my wife was demolishing me. At some point, I stared at my paddle in disbelief. She said, “It’s not your paddle; it’s you. You suck.” In sports like golf, tennis, or pickleball, you can’t often blame the instrument. However, in dentistry, nice instruments are vital to being fast and good. That is why I like to invest in restorative instruments that increase my speed and efficiency. LM-Arte Dark Diamond Restorative Instruments do just that!
LM-Arte Dark Diamond Restorative Instruments are top-of-the-line, made with meticulous attention to detail in everything from ergonomics to shape and thickness. There are five instruments in the set, all with Italian-sounding names. This is by design, as these instruments are based on the Style Italiano philosophy of direct restorations.
Despite their name, these instruments would benef it every clinician, regardless of philosophy. The Condensa is a condenser-style instrument that is great for placing increments of composite into proximal boxes and nooks and crannies. It is well proportioned and rounded to ensure that composite gets into all the little areas. The Fissura is a sculpting instrument with a PKTstyle side and a sharp probe side great for posterior anatomy and mamelons. The Applica is a thin, flexible, spatula-style instrument that is great for resin placement in the anterior and resin-shaping in the posterior. The Modella is especially fine and wide, making it great for shaping resin on the facial of incisors and flat areas. Finally, the Eccesso is almost like a scaler, making it ideal for the removal of composite and bonding residue.
All of these LM-Ar te Dark Diamond Restorative Instruments are nonstick and equipped with the ErgoSense handle that makes using them extremely easy and comfortable. While it is possible to order these individually from Garrison, I think ordering them as a kit makes the most sense. With this kit, you could restore even the most delicate of direct composite restorations. The only problem is that now I can’t blame my instruments anymore! Single up the middle to center field for Garrison Dental!
Invisalign Palatal Expander
Growth and Development was never my favorite class in dental school. It was taught by the ortho department and had a rotating cavalcade of instructors who really failed to communicate the importance of the subject matter for those of us going into general practice. Most kids are seen by general practice dentists, and it is up to us to catch growth and development issues in time for good treatment. We have always known this, but what we didn’t know was how important the airway was for good development, facially, structurally, cognitively, and systemically. Many of us have begun to be more aggressive in treating these types of issues earlier to help kids thrive. Palatal expansion has always been a huge tool for these types of cases. Traditionally, though, palatal expansion has been problematic, difficult, and archaic. We have all tried to put on bands, take impressions, and teach parents how to turn the key on their kid’s new expander. Invisalign is changing that with the Invisalign Palatal Expander (IPE).
Using a digital scan and ClinCheck software, a removable, 3D-printed palatal expander can be fabricated for growing patients. The IPE fits onto the three posterior teeth on each side of a patient’s maxillary arch. In order for it to work, the patient must have three posterior teeth, including the six-year permanent molar. These teeth should all be 4 mm in height or more, and should not have stainless steel crowns. The mixed dentition is key here. The IPE will fit over the occlusal surfaces of these posterior teeth and fit tightly on the lingual surfaces of these teeth and onto the palate. Just like Invisalign aligners, the patient will work their way through a series of expanders during their treatment. Each expander will provide up to 0.25 mm of movement. Once the desired expansion has occurred, the patient will move into a holding phase, which consists of a copy of the last stage of the expansion phase. Each holder lasts two to four weeks and new ones can be ordered from the Invisalign doctor site.
You must scan with an iTero to prescribe an IPE. When scanning, the entire palate should be captured, along with 3 mm of buccal gingival coverage. A lower scan and a bite scan are required. Align Technology has CBCT data to show true skeletal expansion can be achieved with the IPE. This is all accomplished in a way that is easier and less traumatic for our young growing patients, in a software like ClinCheck that we know and love! Double to the left field power alley for Align!
Editor's note: This article appeared in the November/December 2024 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
