Dental composites have been around for decades, but as little as 10 years ago, patients were known to experience discomfort after having a restoration that developed microleakage.
Over the years, Terry Grant, DMD, has had patients from other practices—as well as some of his own patients—complain of pain following composite restorations. Some of these complaints meant he had to start the procedures over, a costly inconvenience for both the patient and his practice.
But this is no longer an issue. In 2015, at the Greater New York Dental Meeting, Dr Grant met with a representative of VOCO America who told him to give Futurabond U dual-cure universal adhesive a try. He started using the dental material in his Garden City, New York practice. And lo and behold, the patient complaints went away.
“I was eager to sample it with my patients,” he said after first using Futurabond U. “I specifically informed my patients that I was using a new product, a futuristic product called Futurabond U.”
Futurabond U
Futurabond U is the first dual-cure universal adhesive in a single-dose delivery system. Until now, most clinicians have used 2 to 4 different bonding systems to ensure material compatibility. Futurabond U allows the practitioner to cut this amount down to 1 system, making procedures simpler, staff training easier, and inventories streamlined. Applied in a single layer, this universal adhesive creates a strong bond to enamel and dentin. At the same time, it also bonds to metal, zirconia, aluminum oxide, and silicate ceramics without a primer, saving the cost of additional materials.
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Due to the material’s unique features, he was able to use this all-in-one bonding agent on both young and older patients and asked them to share their input. “Some patients had appointments every 2 weeks, and no one reported any problems. They reported no concerns,” Dr Grant says.
This dual-cured universal adhesive is applied in a single layer and creates a strong bond to enamel and dentin. And VOCO’s patented SingleDose system is designed to eliminate the problem of solvent evaporation so as to ensure reliable high bond strength with each application.
Better Now
While certainly an esthetic improvement over amalgam, some of the earlier composites on the market didn’t perform as well as their modern counterparts, causing some clinicians were resistant to using them. But today’s materials are so much better.
“Back in the day patients were reporting [that they] went to another dentist and said their restorations looked really pretty and natural, but when they went home, they’d feel the pain and they would have to go back,” Dr Grant explains.
Dr Grant is a cosmetic, geriatric, and general dentist who has been in practice for more than 30 years. He now uses Futurabond U exclusively. Not only is patient comfort improved, but the high bond strength for crowns and veneers means no more concerns about failed restorations.
“I started using Futurabond [U] as my go-to adhesive,” he says of the all-in-oneuniversal adhesive. “It’s a very versatile adhesive, bonding to practically all direct and indirect restorations. There’s no need for the combination of adhesive, primer and silane agent. I simply keep the tooth restoration site dry from any moisture. It worked well with my light-cured and dual-cured composites. Today it’s considered part of my dental team.”
Futurabond U is the first dual-cure universal adhesive in a single-dose delivery system that does not require an additional primer or activator. The material may be used in self-, selective-, and total-etch techniques and works with all light-, dual-, and self-cure composites. The SingleDose system also eliminates contamination concerns—yet another bonus.
Versatile
Dr Grant uses Futurabond U with glass ionomer restorations as a protective layer on older patients and says its silicon dioxide nanoparticles also allow this universal adhesive to work well for new zirconia veneers and BruxZirâNOW (Glidewell) zirconiacrowns. He adds that the material is also useful for treating hypersensitivity in the cervical region.
Futurabond U uses silicon dioxide nanoparticles to create a cross-link of resin components and enhance its film-building properties.
“When I find a product that works well for me, I want it around all the time,” he says. “And obviously, VOCO has been around a long time.”
Another bonus is the material’s simple storage. It does not require refrigeration so “you don’t have to go back and forth to the refrigerator to get the product,” Dr Grant adds. It can be stored easily on any shelf in the operatory and The 1-step activation prevents loss of material; other solutions may tip over and evaporate if left open overnight.” He shares: “Most importantly, the application provides reliable bond strength with each use.
VOCO states the material has over 30 MPa of adhesion to dentin and enamel with light-cure composites while reaching high total-etch adhesion levels with dual-cure and self-cure composites. Additionally, Futurabond U will not self-cure before it is in contact with a dual- or self-cure resin cement or core build-up composite.
