Matching Skills and Education With Reliable Materials

The foundation of that reputation is built upon continuing education. Radz attended an extensive number of courses in his earlier years, and now, he also lectures around the country himself. "Learning, practicing, and developing the knowledge and skills is important," he says.

The next step was marketing those skills in order to bring in new patients, and the final piece was reinforcing that marketing by delivering positive results so that patients would spread the word. Of course, that means using quality materials—not just products that look good in the mouth initially, but those that hold up long-term.

"Materials are critical because you can have all of the skills in the world, but if your materials are compromised, then your end result will be compromised," Radz says. "You need to be working with excellent materials, and they need to be durable over time. If you perform a restoration that looks great, but it only lasts 2 years, then no matter how good it looked to begin with, your reputation can start to become compromised. Longevity is important, and that is the real test of the quality of the materials being used."

For approximately a decade, Radz has used the Venus^® line of composites from Kulzer for direct restorations in the anterior region. "The Venus system offers exceptional color and color stability over time," he says. "It also has really nice handling characteristics, so it is easy to place, and we get a really nice polish that stands up over time as well."

Because of his positive experiences with Venus composites, Radz was excited when Kulzer launched the Venus ONE line. Venus^® Diamond ONE and Venus^® Pearl ONE are truly universal shade solutions with enhanced mechanical properties that can be used for the majority of everyday cases. With incredible shade-matching properties, the single-shade material blends seamlessly into the surrounding dentition, regardless of tooth shade, enabling restorations to simply disappear.

"The first characteristic that I focused on was the handling because that is something that I really loved about the Venus system," Radz says. "Being able to handle a material well makes a difference in the quality of the restoration, and the handling characteristics of the Venus ONE composites are virtually the same as their predecessors. I really could not discern any difference, so there was no learning curve at all."

Radz, has found the Venus ONE materials to be ideal for posterior direct composite restorations. "The shade-matching properties are excellent, so I can use the one universal shade in many different situations and achieve a successful color match," he says. Radz emphasizes that Venus ONE is not a bulk-fill material and should not be used as one; however, it can be used in a wide variety of cases as indicated.

The ability to simplify his inventory without sacrificing quality has impacted Radz's practice in several ways beyond the obvious factor of cost efficiency. "Our drawers and tubs are less crowded," he says. "When assistants are setting up the room, if they know we will be using the Venus ONE universal shade, that setup becomes easier."

Radz also uses Kulzer's iBOND^® Universal, a light-cure adhesive that can be used for any bonding technique and all indications. Being compatible with all dental materials, it is Kulzer's "all-rounder" for reliable bond strength. "Universal bonding agents will be the future," Radz says. "iBOND does exactly what it says it will do. You can self-etch, total-etch, or selective-etch. It is one bonding agent that serves all purposes."

According to Radz, from a clinical standpoint, iBOND Universal has worked every bit as well as the rest of the iBOND line, so although he has not yet used it long enough to evaluate its long-term performance, it has given every indication that it will hold up well. In addition, similar to the Venus ONE system, iBOND Universal helps to simplify his practice's operation.

"When assistants are preparing for procedures," Radz says, "there is no need to guess or bring out multiple different types of bonding agents. They can just bring out the one, and depending on the clinical indication, the dentist can determine what type of etching is required. iBOND Universal reduces inventory, streamlines setups, is easy to use, and just simplifies procedures as a whole."

Both the Venus ONE composites and iBOND Universal help Radz perform exceptional dentistry to keep his practice thriving. "You build your practice," he says, "through patients who are happy with what you have done for them."

Key Points

• With Venus ONE's incredible shade-matching properties, restorations blend into the surrounding dentition regardless of tooth color.

• Venus ONE offers efficient handling characteristics that facilitate easy sculpting of the required tooth morphology.

• iBOND Universal is excellent for dentin preparations and provides instant, reliable bond strength.

• The acetone in iBOND Universal acts like a water chaser and supports the fast evaporation of water to create a homogeneous bonding layer.