Test Drive: Using ZR-C Universal Cleanser and Seamfree Resin for Enhanced Restorative Outcomes

A combination of direct and indirect restorations make up a large part of a dentist’s workload. Although both approaches are designed to restore damaged dentition, they each require a specialized workflow and armamentarium that must be customized to meet the needs of the case and deliver the best results for the patient.

This is why I’m always on the lookout for new approaches, technologies, and materials that help me provide the best outcomes for my patients, so I’m excited to share the results of my recent test drive with a pair of Vista Apex materials that make restorative dentistry easier for me and my team while providing patients with enhanced outcomes.

Those products are Seamfree Composite Wetting Resin, which helps make direct restorations more consistent, and ZR-C™ Universal Cleanser, a solution that prevents contamination of crowns and bridges following try in.

Here’s what I discovered during these test drives.

Seamfree Composite Wetting Resin

If you are a typical practitioner, you probably find yourself reaching for a variety of composites, depending on the clinical situation and, on occasion, even the clinical demands of the patient. If a patient is a bruxer, you may find yourself reaching for a composite that is less subject to wear. Another patient may have high salivary flow, which might require you to work quickly to avoid contamination of the field. In that instance, a bulk fill might be a better choice.

We can’t always work with the same materials every time, and because each composite is a little bit different, you can’t always predict exactly how a material will handle before you place it. Material properties can even change depending on the environment. Even though I work in a controlled environment with heat and air conditioning, I still find noticeable changes in material handling depending on the humidity and temperature. This can make the material stiffer or stickier.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way that you could magically make all composites handle in a similar manner? Well, the answer is here, and it doesn’t even require magic. You can leave that rabbit in the hat and simply use Seamfree Composite Wetting Resin from Vista Apex. This is one of those products that once you use it, you’ll wonder how you practiced without it. Seamfree greatly enhances the handling of any composite and reduces tackiness or stickiness.

Now I know a lot of you are saying, “I use bonding agent for that.” Let me explain why Seamfree is a much better option.

Often a non-bulk fill material is placed in 2- to 3-mm increments. Composite naturally bonds to itself, so the next layer easily bonds to the previous. This creates a monobloc of composite. However, using a light-cured bonding agent creates layers of bonding agent between the layers of composite, resulting in discrepancies and weaknesses in the restoration that can lead to fracturing or chipping. Also, in darker composites or thicker layers, there is a risk of the bonding agent not being adequately cured, which can lead to more potential layering problems.

Seamfree is unfilled, meaning there is no potential for film thickness, plus it is absorbed into the composite after it is placed. It is not light cured and does not require any drying or thinning. It also does not cause any physical change in the properties of the composite. It creates better handling characteristics for every composite material, and after use, it basically disappears.

Seamfree is one of those “better mousetrap” products that you will find yourself reaching for to make procedures easier and more predictable. Simply apply it to the composite or to your instrument and let it work its magic. No rabbit or hat required!

ZR-C Universal Cleanser

Bonding is the common way of placing fixed prosthetics in today’s dental practice. Before resin cements, sometimes cements could be soluble in oral fluids and begin to break down and dissolve. This led to a much greater chance of recurrent caries.

Today’s resin cements are insoluble in oral fluids and have eliminated the problems of “wash out,” giving clinicians more confidence in their margins holding up. However, as cements have changed, restorative materials have also changed—and that leads us from one potential problem to another.

Although current materials are remarkably esthetic, they also require greater thickness to resist fracture. Preparations can be made more retentive with attention paid to parallelism and adding retention grooves, but the incredible retention of long bevels has gone the way of the dinosaur. Due to that and other factors, today’s restorations are more dependent on chemical bonding than on mechanical retention.

Bonding is dependent on chemistry and control of the field. Restorations returned from the lab are chemically treated on the internal surface to increase retention, but the enemy of adhesive dentistry is saliva, blood, and crevicular fluid.

Careful control of the field is next to impossible during the try in and occlusal evaluation stage, and although restorations start out clean and uncontaminated, the internal surface is quickly contaminated by oral fluids. This can greatly reduce bond strength, leading to recurrent caries or debonded restorations.

How does the clinician solve this problem? Fortunately, there are products like ZR-C Universal Cleanser from Vista Apex. After the restoration has been tried in and is deemed ready for cementation, simply rinse the restoration thoroughly to remove any fluids and then dry the inside of the restoration with oil-free air. Next apply ZR-C Universal Cleanser and scrub it lightly onto the internal surface. Allow the material to set for 20 seconds, rinse with water, and apply oil-free air to thoroughly dry.

At this point, the restoration is ready to bond in the mouth. I love that ZR-C Universal Cleanser is truly universal and can be used with any prosthetic material. Also, it is orange, so it is easy to see and easy for the assistant to tell when it is completely removed. It also does not require shaking prior to use. And fewer things to remember means fewer mistakes.

Today, every indirect restoration in my office is cleaned with ZR-C Universal Cleanser prior to cementation, and every time I reach for composite, I also reach for Seamfree Composite Wetting Resin. These materials work. I think if you give them a try, you’ll feel the same way I do.