The Next Step in Adaptable Bulk-Flow Restoratives
December 1, 2018
Volume 14
,
Issue 12
,
December 2018
Page(s): p. 68
Regarding the placement of posterior restorations, how many products does the practitioner want to have out at once? "It is helpful to just be able to use one flowable material," says Elizabeth Bakeman, DDS, an adjunct faculty member at the Kois Center, who maintains a private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "I look for strength, for lack of porosity-all of those features are really important."
Bakeman recently sat down with Inside Dentistry's Product Talk to discuss her experience with G-ænial™ BULK Injectable from GC America-a high-strength, light-cured ultra-fine particle composite with ideal viscosity, handling, and adaptation characteristics that can be used as a one-step application for bulk filling. "It has a really nice flow to it," she says, "so it works great as a sealant material as well."
According to Bakeman, she has been using an auto-cure bulk-fill material for more than 20 years. "I was always a little hesitant about depth of cure in doing increments, so I use a bulk-fill material. The transition to G-ænial BULK Injectable was very easy for me because there are important similarities. G-ænial BULK Injectable has the same flow characteristics as the auto-cure material-you can watch the tip and see the even flow into the box. It's excellent in that way."
One of the significant features of this bulk-fill is that it doesn't require any capping or veneering material, so it can be used all the way up to the occlusal surface. For Bakeman's esthetically demanding patients, she does like to use a capping material on some of the larger posterior restorations. "On the narrower restorations, using a bulk-fill from the depth of the restoration all the way up works very well, because you get the reflection in the enamel and it blends nicely," she explains. "But on larger restorations, I like to layer that with a light-cure material, such as G-ænial Sculpt®, to have a little more opacity to the restoration but still a nice blend. That seems to work better for my practice."
Although clinicians want a material to flow, they are often concerned about voids. "Voids can result in an area of recurrent decay," Bakeman notes. "So when I can do the cervical aspects with a flowable material like that-when I can see it fill the area-I feel more confident about it."
G-ænial BULK Injectable's ultra-fine particles have a full silane coating, which results in great adaptation into the cavity without creating air bubbles or voids. It also facilitates the ease of flow out of the syringe. "It's almost counterintuitive," Bakeman explains. "With that strength, you think that you're going to have to work to get it out of the syringe. However, it has a surprisingly good flow. The tip on the syringe is well-designed; it's very narrow so that you can see past it to where you're placing the material within the cavity preparation. That's important to me. I like to see what I'm doing."
Board Member Bio
Elizabeth Bakeman, DDS, an accredited fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, maintains a private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is an adjunct faculty member at the Kois Center.
Notable Features
Easy one-step filling facilitates a depth of cure of up to 4 mm with no capping or veneering required.
The silane coating of the ultra-fine particles promotes excellent adaptation to the cavity and provides extraordinary wear resistance and gloss retention.
Low volumetric shrinkage helps ensure optimal marginal integrity.
To hear more from Bakeman about the benefits of using G-ænial BULK Injectable, check out the entire Product Talk interview online at: www.insidedentistry.net/go/ product-talk-7
For more information, contact:
GC America
gcamerica.com
800-323-7063
