A look behind the scenes of SDI's Riva Bond LC

Lyn Chau, SDI’s Scientific Affairs Manager, tells us about the development process behind Riva Bond LC and what this adhesive can do for your practice.

At DPR, we love to go behind the scenes of product development. Here we take a look at the idea behind SDI’s Riva Bond LC universal light cured adhesive for direct restorations and what this product means for your patients and your practice.

Q: Where did the idea for Riva Bond LC come from?

A: After the launch of our company’s seventh generation adhesive system, Go! in 2010, I asked myself, “What’s next in dentin bonding?” The all-in-one systems are already the simplest system to use, therefore, “Do we just stop here? Or have we missed something?” We needed something that current bonding systems on the market do not have.

As the Scientific Affairs Manager for SDI, looking for ideas for new products is part of my role and I enthusiastically took on this challenging search. A few consultants pointed out that SDI should look at extending the life of composite restorations, which is shorter than amalgam fillings due to the interfacial stresses developed during polymerization of the restorative material.

Polymerization contraction stresses are considered to be primary factors leading to the loss of bonding integrity, and it would be great to have a bonding system that can counter this stress at the bonding interface.

Q: What was the development process like?

A: Joshua Cheetham leads the R&D Team at SDI and his team was responsible for the development of Riva Bond LC. The group, together with glass ionomer development scientists, glass material scientists and polymer chemists, formed the initial design for Riva Bond LC.

They took on this challenge in 2008 and the biggest struggle was to find the ideal formula that achieved adequate bond strength, expanded enough to compensate for the shrinkage stress caused by composites, but not so much that it would be detrimental to the bond over time. Success came in 2011, when a range of formulations showed adequate expansion to compensate for the shrinkage of composites while maintaining reasonable bond strength.

An independent preliminary contraction stress study of this design concluded that there was a significant difference in contraction stress between Riva Bond LC and a typical resin based adhesive on the market.

Q: What advancements in adhesive technology influenced Riva Bond LC?

A: The introduction of the all-in-one, seventh generation, self-etching adhesives influenced the birth of Riva Bond LC. It pushed our developing team toward a different angle of thought for adhesion, which focused on helping the restoration to cope with the shrinkage stress caused by all composites.

Q: What are the key features you are most proud of?

A: The ability of Riva Bond LC to absorb the interfacial stress was the most important feature to ensure composite restorations last longer. More and more patients are requesting esthetic restorations; however, one of the common complaints is “My silver filling lasted forever and my white filling needs to be replaced after only a few years!”

We were excited to be able to develop a product that meets all the criteria of an ideal bonding agent, and for the first time reduce the shrinkage stress of the composite.

Q: In what ways will this product make a dentist’s life better?

A:More happy patients. Like any caring health care provider, the patient’s well-being is the practitioner’s top priority. In the current global financial climate, there is an increase demand for direct restorations, with patients demanding to get more life out of their white fillings.

This demand will continue to increase and it would be beneficial for clinicians in the long run to offer longer life white fillings to their patients. When using Riva Bond LC, patients get sensitive-free restorations -without microleakage - that are longer lasting.

See SDI's new Riva Bond LC light-cured adhesive in action: