Versatile and Easy to Use Without Sacrificing Performance

Hornbrook attributes much of his success as a practitioner to blending an artistic background with clinical skills. "As cosmetic dentistry became more popular, I had that opportunity," he says. His career on the lecture circuit, however, was not something that he initially planned. Noticing early in his career that many continuing education courses focused more on research and technical details than on helping clinicians learn skills that they could apply in practice, Hornbrook, a self-described systems thinker, decided to try lecturing himself. After his first presentation, he was approached about trying a longer one, and after that one, he was asked to present an all-day course. "It just took off," he says. "It was so exciting when people would tell me that I changed their lives, the ways that they practiced, and the ways that they perceived dentistry for their patients. It was a ‘wow' moment. I realized that becoming an educator was an opportunity for me to not only have a major influence on my patients' lives but also on the lives of other dentists."

One of Hornbrook's primary areas of expertise is adhesive dentistry. "We cannot really do tooth-colored dentistry without adhesion," he says. "Adhesive dentistry has allowed me to place beautiful restorations that match the surrounding tooth structure and to practice more conservatively." Hornbrook's adhesive of choice is BISCO's All-Bond Universal^®, which can be used for direct and indirect restorations and is formulated to be compatible with light-, dual-, and self-cure materials. All-Bond Universal is not moisture sensitive, bonds to all substrates, and results in virtually no postoperative sensitivity.

According to Hornbrook, performance and ease of use are the first two characteristics that he looks for in products to recommend in his lectures. "The reality is that many dentists will not use a product that is excellent if it is difficult to use," he says. "Personally, I will not give up performance for ease of use, but if I can find something that is easier to use that does not sacrifice performance, I am all over it. Previous generations of All-Bond adhesives were not quite as easy to use because, unlike many other manufacturers, BISCO refused to sacrifice performance for simplicity. All-Bond Universal, however, is a single-bottle adhesive that has produced the same clinical success, predictability, and lack of sensitivity that I was seeing with more complicated bonding agents."

Another important factor for Hornbrook is pedigree. He has used the All-Bond line for approximately 30 years and achieved consistently exceptional results. "With All-Bond Universal, BISCO has incorporated the chemistry, research, knowledge, and technology of their previous products that were the best in this category," he says. "That is important to me. So many manufacturers' bonding agents represent their first forays into a category of products that has significantly evolved over the past 30 years. BISCO has a pedigree of having had the best bonding agents for the past 30 years, and now they are introducing their new superstar." BISCO has maintained that pedigree in part, Hornbrook adds, by maintaining a clear focus on its core competencies. "Some manufacturers produce really good products in two or three categories, but they expand into other areas just to sell more products," he says. "BISCO is the Mount Everest of adhesive dentistry, and I admire that they stay within their areas of expertise."

Although Hornbrook exclusively uses a total-etch technique, he touts the versatility of All-Bond Universal. It can be beneficial for dentists who prefer to choose their etching techniques based on the needs of each procedure, so Hornbrook can recommend All-Bond Universal to everyone in his audiences. "It is a true universal adhesive, so you can use it for total-etch, self-etch, or selective-etch protocols," he says. "As an educator, I can impart my philosophy, but if certain clinicians have different philosophies, I still want them to be able to use the products that I feel very strongly about. Many dentists are self-etchers because they do not want to put phosphoric acid on dentin. Others will selectively etch enamel but not dentin. Prior to All-Bond Universal, I had to say that there was only one way to do what I was teaching, and some people in the audience would shut down. With All-Bond Universal, even though I use it in a total-etch protocol, it works really well with self-etch and selective-etch approaches." Hornbrook adds that unlike some adhesives from previous generations, with  All-Bond Universal, if you get some etchant on the dentin and rinse it, the bond value increases.

The ability to confidently recommend a product like All-Bond Universal is part of why, after 38 years, Hornbrook still enjoys what he does. His dedication keeps him going during those long weeks when he is both practicing and traveling around the world. "I don't take it lightly at all," he says. "I can potentially have a direct influence on the success of procedures, which can lead to the success of clinicians and the happiness of patients."

• Demonstrates moisture tolerance to permit use on wet, dry, or moist tooth structure.

• Bonds to all substrates and can be used for all direct and indirect restorations. (< 10 μm thickness).

• Possesses an ideal chemical balance to facilitate total-, self-, and selective-etch adhesion protocols from a single bottle.

• Is compatible with all resin cements with no additional activator required.

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