A Go-To Composite That Simplifies Without Sacrificing Beauty
Inside Dentistry provides the latest in endodontics, implantology, periodontics, and more, with in-depth articles, expert videos, and top industry insights.
August 1, 2024
Volume 20, Issue 8, August 2024
Page(s): p. 46
If you ask Abdi Sameni, DDS, about his priorities as a practitioner, he'll tell you that preserving patients' natural dentition ranks high on the list along with providing individualized, highly esthetic care. It's the doctrine that drives his restorative and cosmetic practice, WLA Dental Center, in Los Angeles, California. "I spend a lot of time educating patients about the value of preventive and minimally invasive dentistry," Sameni says. "We use photography to monitor change, and we work with an interdisciplinary team for referrals. It is this approach and the relationships that we have built with the specialists and patients that we attribute our success to so far."
Another core value for Sameni, who is the founder of the LA Dental Symposium and a lecturer on interdisciplinary dentistry, digital photography, and biomimetic and esthetic dentistry, is providing treatment for the long haul. "The proper approach is to care for patients in a manner that suits their specific needs and that meets their specific goals," he says. "Patients are living longer, and I want to preserve as much of their natural dentition as possible for as long as possible. Adhesive dentistry and improved composite restorations are critical in achieving this goal."
When it comes to selecting composite materials, Sameni is especially fond of products available from Kulzer, most recently the company's Venus® PURE line. "I have been using Kulzer materials in my practice for decades, and the Venus composites are one of my ‘go-to' choices for direct veneering and placement," he says. "I started using Kulzer products in the early 2000s when the Venus line was first launched. Last November, I received the Venus PURE composites and have been exploring the possibilities that they offer ever since."
Sameni notes that he is pleased with the strength, chemistry, and ease of use of Venus PURE. "I particularly like the way that the products handle," he says. "In addition, they are quite strong due to the unique physical properties imparted by their tricyclodecane-urethane (TCD) matrix, which all of the Venus composites are comprised of. I can count on the strength, especially when I have a bruxer or if I have to restore an incised edge." Sameni uses the Venus PURE composites to place a variety of different anterior and posterior restorations. "The applications are numerous, from incised edges, to veneering, to large Class II restorations and so forth," he says.
Among the additional benefits of using Venus PURE, Sameni explains, is the color palette, which includes four shades. "I still do a large number of layering cases, but I do like the simplicity of the four shades when restoring teeth," he says. "Also, the four shades allow the clinician to use just a single shade or multiple shades in a layering protocol as well. The product is very versatile. Oftentimes, I refurbish previously placed composites, and the Venus PURE line is excellent for that."
According to Kulzer, Venus PURE is designed to simplify direct restorative workflows, reduce chair time, and meet the demands of patients in terms of esthetics. The Venus PURE Pearl and Diamond shades can be used for monochromatic layering, and in most cases, they permit the placement of fillings with only one shade, even in the anterior region, without the need for additional blockers. Meanwhile, Venus PURE Bulk Flow ONE combines the self-levelling effect of a flowable material with a high curing depth and excellent stability after application. This allows it to be placed in increments as thick as 4 mm. With Venus PURE Bulk Flow ONE, dentists can reduce treatment times without the need for shade selection or the placement of a universal composite as an additional capping layer.
Regarding ongoing product support, Sameni emphasizes that Kulzer is an excellent company to work with. "Kulzer has always provided terrific customer support, and that hasn't changed," he says. "Their technical team is always available to answer questions and offer guidance, and their sales team is very attentive as well."
The bottom line, Sameni notes, is that Kulzer's products, and the Venus line in particular, instill confidence in him as a practitioner. "Some of my oldest cases that are still in great condition were restored using the various composites in Kulzer's line," he says. "I have long-term documentation of these cases and use them in lectures to demonstrate to participants that composite restorations can and should be considered ideal treatment in many cases."
As for using Venus PURE, Sameni believes that the product fills the bill not only for him but also for his patients as well, especially because it meshes well with his mindset to remain minimally invasive and provide highly esthetic treatments. "Both my patients and I have been very pleased with the outcomes achieved by the Venus PURE composites," he says. "For any case, it is important to address patient expectations as well as my own expectations. As long as we both know what the expectations are regarding the outcome, we have success."
• Venus PURE Diamond/Pearl shades cover about 80% of anterior and posterior restorations with only four shades.
• These four shades allow for monochromatic layering as well as restoration with only one shade, even in the anterior region, without the need for additional blockers.
• The tricyclodecane-urethane (TCD) matrix imparts unique physical properties that help to avoid chipping and fracture.
• Venus PURE Bulk Flow ONE, which can be placed in increments of up to 4 mm, combines the self-levelling effect of a flowable material with a high curing depth and excellent stability after application.
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