Tools of the trade

John W. Farah, DDS, PhD

The editors of THE DENTAL ADVISOR™ proudly bring you the "Shared Secrets" column. Every other month, we will feature dental products and equipment that have received top ratings in THE DENTAL ADVISOR™. Take your practice to the next level with the help of our "Shared Secrets."

InstaTemp

Sterngold Restorative Systems
(800) 243-9942
+ + + + + / 96%, Vol. 19-3

InstaTemp is an excellent, automixed resin composite for fabricating temporary crowns, bridges, and inlays/onlays. It is neatly packaged in a sturdy plastic case that contains a dispensing gun, one cartridge of material, and mixing tips.

InstaTemp is available in Vita shades A1, A2, A3.5, and B1, which are adequate for most cases. InstaTemp is easy to use, from dispensing and flow around the teeth to removal and clean-up.

The fit also is excellent, and trimming is easily accomplished with laboratory acrylic burs or diamonds. The resulting temporary restorations are hard and durable with very nice aesthetics.

RelyX Veneer Cement

3M ESPE
(800) 634-2249
+ + + + + / 98%, Vol. 19-2
Editors' Choice

RelyX Veneer Cement is an excellent, light-cured, resin-based luting material. The kit is simply laid out and contains five shades of cement with corresponding try-in pastes. This kit comes with a silane-coupling agent and Single Bond adhesive.

Cement pastes are provided in 2g syringes for direct application. The thinness of most veneers allows adequate light penetration for curing through the restoration. The high viscosity of the cement keeps the veneers in place. After the veneer is seated and briefly light-cured, the excess cement is very easy to remove. Evaluators report that aesthetic results are excellent.

Heliomolar HB

Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc.
(800) 533-6825
+ + + + 1/2 / 91%, Vol. 19-2

Heliomolar HB is a light-cured, high-viscosity, radiopaque, microfilled composite designed for posterior teeth restoration. It was developed based on the original Heliomolar technology and includes prepolymerized particles in the filler, which increases the filler content to 77 percent by weight.

The introductory package contains all of the necessary materials to place, sculpt, and polish direct restorations. The heavy-body viscosity of the composite improves handling and control during placement without slumping or sticking to instruments.

Heliomolar HB's stiffness and packability makes interproximal contacts easier to establish. Nine shades are available in both syringe and unit-dose compules. Translucent enamel shades also have been introduced recently.

Note: For information on the "Shared Secrets" lecture seminars or to subscribe, contact THE DENTAL ADVISOR™, 3100 W. Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, by phone at (800) 347-1330, by email: [email protected], or visit www.dentaladvisor.com.

John W. Farah, DDS, PhD, an editor of THE DENTAL ADVISOR™, maintains a full-time dental practice in Ann Arbor, Mich., and lectures internationally on dental products, materials, and equipment. John M. Powers, PhD, an editor of THE DENTAL ADVISOR™, is a professor of restorative dentistry and biomaterials at UT Health Science Center at Houston. He also is director of the Houston Biomaterials Research Center.