Adding Knowledge and Products to the Armamentarium

Shull enjoys educating for a number of reasons. "I get to travel to some great cities and spend time with some neat people," he says. "But more than anything, I enjoy the giving back aspect because so much of it is giving. It is not for everyone, but I really get a lot out of it." Of course, devoting so much time to staying up to date on the latest developments and discussing them with colleagues around the country has its benefits for Shull as a practitioner. "Anyone who is out there lecturing to others should be speaking not only about what he or she does in practice but also about what others are doing," he says. "It is all about spreading knowledge. Taking continuing education courses myself and interacting with other good dentists allows me to share what I have learned and also to apply it in my own practice."

During the course of Shull's work as a key opinion leader, one product that he was introduced to was Bio-LCB^™ from Essential Dental Systems (EDS). Bio-LCB, a light-cure base and liner material, was developed to be used as a protective base/liner under composites, amalgams, cements, and other base materials. It can be used as a replacement for calcium hydroxide, glass ionomers, resin-modified glass ionomers, zinc oxide-eugenol intermediate restorative materials, and other restorative materials. Bio-LCB creates an insulator/barrier to protect against sensitivity, and unlike other base/liners, it is composed of a proprietary UDMA-based formulation, super strong, and self-adhesive, and it bonds to dentin and promotes dentin remineralization. "We are all looking for materials that are easy to use and predictable and that can improve the outcomes of our restorative work," Shull says. "Bio-LCB certainly falls into that category. It has a lot of the qualities that I look for in a product to add to my armamentarium."

Perhaps the most important of Bio-LCB's qualities is its ability to help prevent secondary decay. The material bonds to dentin to prevent bacterial leakage, and the composition becomes alkaline upon setting, which has an antimicrobial effect. "Any time that we are using any type of base or liner, we are typically attempting to prevent bacterial leakage, which we know can cause a lot of problems in the future," Shull says.

Shull notes that Bio-LCB also releases calcium and phosphate ions and stimulates reparative dentin formation. "We know that areas that are very compromised or close to the pulp or nerve can benefit if we lay down reparative dentin," he says. "Hopefully, that provides us with that nice layer of protection that we want." The material also exhibits strong mechanical strength—bonding to dentin and other restorative materials while resisting occlusal forces for restorative longevity—along with low polymerization shrinkage. "Strong mechanical properties are always important," Shull says. "When we cure a material like this, we always need to be mindful of shrinkage because that can be an issue inside of a cavity preparation, so Bio-LCB's relatively low polymerization shrinkage is very helpful."

In addition to these properties, Bio-LCB provides pulp protection and reduces irritation, sealing off dentin tubules while its alkalinity maintains pulp vitality. It is also hydrophilic, radiopaque, and easily syringable. "This type of product has been around for a long time, and there have been a lot of different formulations," Shull says. "One of the most popular formulations required the base to be mixed manually, which introduced an opportunity for error or, at the very least, uncertainty about whether you were achieving the ideal mix. Conversely, Bio-LCB does not require mixing and comes in a nice syringe. It is more efficient to be able to directly inject it rather than carrying it in on a different type of instrument."

The primary benefit of using a product like Bio-LCB is in attaining a higher level of effectiveness in the constant quest to prevent secondary caries. Shull enjoys spreading the word about Bio-LCB to other dentists while also utilizing it to improve his own practice. "Oftentimes, we are using these products in areas that are not ideal, and we all know that there are quite a few of those in dentistry," Shull says. "There are situations in which we are deep into a tooth, chasing decay, and we encounter areas where we can see the effects of the decay, and although it feels very hard to the touch, we know there is still a chance that decay could form there again. In those situations, the best strategy that we can utilize is to inject a product that can halt future decay and prevent the need for a root canal or the loss of the tooth—two circumstances that we want to do everything possible to avoid. Honestly, using the best product possible against that deep dentin may be the standard of care. Our goal is always to remove all of the decay, but there is usually the possibility that we did not, so why not safeguard your work with a nice protectant for that pulp over the deepest areas?"

• Helps prevent secondary decay by bonding to dentin to prevent bacterial leakage.

• Becomes alkaline upon setting, releases calcium and phosphate ions, and stimulates reparative dentin formation.

• Exhibits strong mechanical strength, bonding to dentin and restorative materials while resisting occlusal forces.

• Demonstrates low polymerization shrinkage and is hydrophilic, radiopaque, and easily syringable.

For more information, contact:
Essential Dental Systems
edsdental.com • 201-487-9090