How 3M ESPE cements make restorative dentistry easy [VIDEO]

Twenty-five years of private practice haven’t changed the core values of Dr. Jeff Blank’s philosophy of care. Providing comprehensive care, not just esthetic treatment, is the main focus of his Fort Mill, S.C., practice, where he specializes in complex restorative reconstruction and cosmetic enhancement procedures.  

“The comprehensive approach is critical,” said Dr. Blank. “It’s like building a house: You don’t get to pick out the drapes until you have a good foundation. It’s very easy as a dentist to become a tooth mechanic, and only look at individual teeth. I think what is at the core of our practice is that we’re really taking a whole-patient view in terms of the entire system working together.” 

Dr. Jeff Blank and his team

Dr. Blank and his team work with each patient to establish a long-term care plan, and emphasize the importance of communicating with their patients to ensure they can understand and feel comfortable with their diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan. He and his treatment coordinator use scans of the patients’ mouths to visually explain areas of concern and show patients exactly what they are talking about, communicating with them to diagnose the entire mouth at once.  

Cementing the bond

Dr. Blank also cites how critical it is to use high-quality products that will ensure a patient’s treatment is successful, and won’t require him or her to return for extra visits.

“Durability and esthetics of the products we use are big components, but patients always want procedure time to be short,” explained Dr. Blank. “No one likes to sit in the dental chair for an endless amount of exacting steps.”  This is where 3M ESPE products become a must-have for his practice.

By using 3M™ ESPE™ cements, Dr. Blank gets patients out of the chair quicker than ever before, while still ensuring that the final result will be high quality the first time around. 3M ESPE’s cement solutions minimize the number of steps–and time–required to complete procedures, due to their ease of use in handling, application and cleanup.

Check out this video to hear what Dr. Blank has to say about 3M ESPE cements

Products you can count on

 Ideal for porcelain, composite and ceramic veneers, 3M™ ESPE™ RelyX™ Veneer Cement has an easy-to-use syringe delivery, and Dr. Blank praises it for its viscosity and consistency: “A lot of veneer cements are too runny or too viscous. 3M has found the right consistency for veneer cement, and the handling factors are fantastic.” 

Color matching is also simple, with try-in pastes that match the cure color of the cement – a crucial feature in thin ceramic restorations, where the cement can influence the overall appearance of the restoration.

For other cases, such as full-coverage crowns or zirconium restorations, Dr. Blank relies on 3M™ ESPE™ RelyX™ Ultimate Cement. The versatile cement can be used for total-etch, selective-etch or self-etch procedures, and is easy to use, since the system includes only two components (an automix syringe and bottle). With tooth-like fluorescence, high bond strength and high wear resistance, RelyX™ Ultimate Cement is excellent for any type of indirect restoration – and has yet to cause any post-op sensitivity in Dr. Blank’s patients.

“There are things in dentistry that, if you cut corners, can lead to considerable problems for you, your practice and the patient,” explained Dr. Blank. “Cements are definitely something where you don’t want the bottom of the barrel, which is why I use 3M ESPE products.” 

Reliable results

And 3M ESPE cements have proven to be top of the line: Dr. Blank has been using RelyX™ Ultimate Cement since its release in 2012, and RelyX™ Veneer Cement for close to 10 years, and has not seen any failure related to the cements. “Cement failures can be a big, big problem, and we’ve had them with other brands. It’s a profit killer, time killer and a confidence killer. It doesn’t reflect well on me as a physician and is incredibly disappointing to have a product failure related to a poor choice in product.”

Dr. Blank has also found success with 3M™ ESPE™ Scotchbond™ Universal Adhesive, a bonding solution that he believes can’t be any more efficient.

“The Scotchbond one-bottle system couldn’t be easier to use. The dual-cure system is amazing, because you know you’re going to have that cure even if you don’t get the light through the denser restorations.” 

Effective on all surfaces, Scotchbond Universal Adhesive has consistent bond strength to moist and dry etched dentin, with the added bonus of causing virtually no post-op sensitivity.  

 Dr. Blank's Fort Mill, S.C. practice

Making a good impression

Because of his amazing experiences with 3M ESPE cements and adhesives, Dr. Blank also integrates other 3M ESPE products into his practice, including the new 3M ESPE Imprint™ 4 VPS Impression Material.

Imprint 4™ VPS impression material delivers precise impression results in the shortest intra-oral setting time, letting Dr. Blank get quality impressions in a fraction of the time. “This material sets faster than any other product on the market,” he said. “It’s a very novel thing to see. The material sets in just 75 seconds without compromising working time, which is about half the time of other brands. On top of that, we don’t see tears, drags or pulls in impressions.”

The interior of Dr. Blank's Fort Mill, S.C. practice

In addition to 3M ESPE’s impression materials, Dr. Blank uses 3M™ ESPE™ Directed Flow Impression Trays, which eliminate the need for a tray adhesive and simplify preliminary and final impressions. Dr. Blank also saves post-op time by using the single-use trays, which eradicates the need to disinfect or clean.  The trays have a built-in reservoir to reduce patient gagging, a directed-flow design to minimize flow defects and striations that prevent tooth/tray contact, making it a hassle-free experience for patient and doctor alike.

“The Directed Flow impression trays are

probably the best disposable silicone universal series of trays that we’ve ever used in the history of the practice,” said Dr. Blank. “They have pretty much revolutionized our practice.” 

With such revolutionary results, it’s not surprising that Dr. Blank can’t recommend 3M ESPE products enough. “I am confident in 3M ESPE products because they do the required research and never launch products before they’re ready. 3M ESPE wants to be number one, and they really are! When something novel or revolutionary comes out with their name on it, it’s definitely going to catch my attention.” 

About Dr. Jeff Blank:

Dr. Jeff Blank graduated from the Medical University of South  Carolina, College of Dental Medicine in 1989 and maintains a full-time private practice at the Carolina Smile Center in Fort Mill, S.C. He is the founder of New Millennium Education, which offers personalized mentoring programs for those seeking to advance their skills in esthetic and complex restorative dentistry. He has lectured extensively both domestically and abroad since 1998, published numerous clinical manuscripts and dental research, and is a Fellow and active member of numerous dental societies. For questions, comments, or to arrange for Dr. Blank to speak at your upcoming local, regional or national dental program, he can be reached at jblank@comporium.net or by visiting www.newmillenniumedu.com and www.carolinasmilecenter.com.

3M™ ESPE™ RelyX™Ultimate Adhesive Resin Cement 3mespe.com/RelyXUltimate

RelyX Ultimate adhesive resin cement delivers bond strength, ease of use and world-class esthetics. Used in combination with Scotchbond Universal adhesive, the two products provide exceptional strength and simplicity. Requiring fewer working steps, the cement’s formulation includes an integrated component that activates the dark cure function of the adhesive and eliminates the need for an additional activator. Approved for a wide range of indications, RelyX Ultimate cement is well suited for CAD/CAM and glass ceramic restorations.

3M™ ESPE™ RelyX™Temp NE and Temp E Cements 3mespe.com/RelyX

RelyX Temp NE and Temp E Cements provide reliable retention with simple removal. The quick and easy removal of both excess cement and the provisional makes this dependable material a go-to choice for dentists. The cements are formulated to provide an optimal fit and precise adhesion. The strong material, in both eugenol (RelyX Temp E) and non-eugenol (RelyX Temp NE), saves time during clean-up and gives peace of mind during the cementation process. 

3M™ ESPE™ RelyX™Veneer Cement  3mespe.com/RelyX

RelyX Veneer cement offers a customer-preferred shading system and delivery. The cement is extremely color-stable and offers matching try-in pastes, providing dentists more choice and flexibility when cementing veneers. The light-cure formula allows for easy handling and clean-up and provides simple and efficient bonding of porcelain, ceramic and composite veneers to ensure stability and long-lasting results. RelyX Veneer cement provides excellent esthetics and consistently delivers an optimal end product.