Bisco’s DUO-LINK composite luting cement is a dual-cured, highly filled cement and competes in a very crowded and often confusing product niche in restorative dentistry.
Bisco’s DUO-LINK composite luting cement is a dual-cured, highly filled cement and competes in a very crowded and often confusing product niche in restorative dentistry.
DUO-LINK is not a newly-introduced product, but one that has had a long history of producing excellent clinical results. So why is this product of such great interest today? Selecting the ideal cement from the pure resin, self-adhesive resin, glass ionomer categories with all-ceramic, metal ceramic and post cementation procedures is a challenge and most clinicians use multiple materials in their day-to-day treatment.
DUO-LINK shines as a versatile cement for numerous clinical indications when the doctor demands a dual-cured chemistry for the clinical procedure. It is suited for adhesive cementation of metal supported porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and bridges, crowns, inlays and onlays fabricated from metal, composite resin or ceramics, and metal and fiber-reinforced endodontic posts.
In looking at what makes DUO-LINK stand out as a luting material, it is important to understand that many cements do not cure equally as well in the purely light-cured mode compared to the self-cured mode. For many clinical situations it is not possible to get light penetration through the restoration to the deepest part of the cement layer. The integrity of the cement (and the restoration itself) then is dependent on the chemical curing components to achieve a high degree of conversion (cure) without light exposure. DUO-LINK achieves a very high degree of conversion in both the self- and light-cure modes, independent of each other. The physical properties of DUO-LINK also are excellent and balance a high filler content for marginal wear resistance with a low film thickness and flow to ensure ease of cementation.
Findings from the Catapult Evaluation
DUO-LINK is available in a translucent shade and as such would not provide significant color modification to the final restoration. While certainly this cement can be used for cementing veneers, for achieving significant color stability a light-cure only cement such as CHOICE 2 would be preferred.
The very high percentage (95%) of evaluators that would incorporate this cement into their practices is impressive and reflects the very good physical properties and the well accepted handling characteristics of this cement. While certainly it would not be the definitive choice for cementing all indirect restorations, it represents a terrific option when an adhesive cementation technique is indicated.
Key tips to this product
DUO-LINK is designed for use with universal adhesive systems such as ALL-BOND 2, ALL-BOND 3, ONE-STEP PLUS or ALL-BOND SE. Some incompatibilities may occur with dual-cured resin cement systems and some adheesive systems, especially adhesives that are low in pH, such as most self-etching systems. Prior to using DUO-LINK with other adhesives, check with the manufacturer to be sure there are not unexpected interactions that could inhibit chemical curing of the cement.
At room temperature the working time for DUO-LINK is 2 minutes and the setting time is 5 minutes 30 seconds for dual-syringe mixed material. Both working and setting times will be accelerated by mouth temperature, and by coming into contact with some adhesive system primers, depending on the adhesive system used. When used for the first time, careful attention to the intraoral setting behavior is important to prevent the cement from setting to a point that makes removal of the excess difficult.
Promotion of adhesion of DUO-LINK to the restoration surface can be accomplished by the appropriate preparation of the metal, ceramic or composite surface and the use of a suitable bonding primer for the specific material being cemented.
This review represents a summary of the findings amongst the Catapult evaluators, who used this product to cement a wide variety of restorations. While a small minority would have preferred the cement to have a slightly shorter work/set time, the survey results show that overall there was wide acceptance of this cement, especially for adhesive cementation of ceramic restorations.
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