Using Phasor to create flowable composites

Dr. Ron Kaminer has always heated composites in his practice, which is why he was so interested in trying the Phasor™ composite warming system when he first heard about it. He liked the idea of heating his composites in a delivery gun. This unique concept eliminates the need to put the composite compules in a separate device before they go into the mouth, making the process more efficient.

Dr. Kaminer began using the system about five months ago, and he says he’s been happy with the results so far.

Benefits of heating composites

While heating composite is a new concept for many dentists, it offers a variety of benefits, Dr. Kaminer says. Heating composite reduces its viscosity, making it more flowable and easy to work with. It also reduces voids and microleakage while improving the depth of cure. The composite more easily adapts into the preparations, making the material easy to manipulate, condense and sculpt. Heating composite also provides a better conversion of monomers without losing any of its strength properties.

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“Anything that’s flowing is going to save you time,” Dr. Kaminer says. “You can build multi-cavity preps quicker because the material extrudes quickly out of the gun. More importantly, it gives you a smoother workflow. You’re not going from one device to another. I just put the material in the gun, press the button and hold the gun. Once it beeps in 15 seconds, I’m right in the mouth at the same time.”

How it’s been done in the past

Before Phasor, dentists typically had to put a syringe or compule into a warmer, let it sit there for a while and then place the composite. Using this method, the composite can only warm to one temperature and will start losing some of the heat before it’s placed in the patient’s mouth, which can change the material’s flowability.

This isn’t an issue for Phasor. The device has three temperature settings, so dentists can change the character of the material based on what they prefer working with.

“The Phasor takes every composite material on the market and makes it a pseudo-flowable composite,” Dr. Kaminer says. “Regardless of what properties the manufacturers have in their materials, whether it’s meant to be compressed better or carved better, this makes it flow better as it comes back to what the manufacturer intended it to be, which takes about 30 seconds.”

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Why you should consider Phasor

The patent-pending device uses near infrared technology to rapidly warm highly filled composite compules to 150°F in a few seconds, bringing the benefits of a bulk fill, highly filled and flowable composite into one material. Since the process maximizes the composite’s physical properties, it could last longer and wear less, which is a benefit to patients.  

“Using the Phasor, you can deliver a heated composite directly into the mouth without any lag time or using any other devices,” Dr. Kaminer says. “If you’re going to try heating composites in your practice, this makes the most sense. It’s a simple gun. You’re not changing anything about what you normally do. You load the composite into the gun and inject it. The only difference is the button that allows you to heat the material. There’s no learning curve at all.”