Howard Glazer, DDS, FAGD
Omnichroma and Omnichroma Blocker resin-based restorative material from Tokuyama
If seeing is believing, you have got to see this! Tokuyama has introduced a composite resin that matches the natural shade of the tooth being restored with just one universal shade. I have used this composite for more than six months, and I find that Tokuyama’s claim is accurate.
The implications go beyond just having a great color match with a strong, wear-resistant, and highly polishable composite. You may no longer have to stock several different shades of composite to satisfy your patients’ esthetic needs. Omnichroma can handle Vita shades A1 to D4. This will reduce inventory costs and minimize chair time by eliminating the shade selection process and the worry of having a good color match. This composite resin is available in both syringes and unit doses, and it can be used for both anterior and posterior restorations in all classifications of cavity preparation.
Omnichroma Blocker is a more opaque version of Omnichroma indicated for those areas where the dentin might have been stained by a previous alloy restoration or is darker than normal. In those instances, I simply place a 0.5 mm layer of Omnichroma Blocker first and cap it off with Omnichroma. I have found Omnichroma Blocker to be quite useful when sealing a screw-retained implant crown since it seems to mask metal from the inner part of the crown, such as with a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown.
To me, Omnichroma is a simple equation: one shade = a match to all tooth shades = reduced inventory costs = useful for all patients = a strong, esthetic restoration = a happy patient!
PowerMix automatic impression material dispenser from Clinician’s Choice
With the push of a button, you can now get a perfectly mixed impression material loaded into a full-arch tray in about 10–15 seconds, and you can do that in any treatment room. Clinician’s Choice’s innovative PowerMix automatic impression material dispenser eliminates the hand fatigue commonly associated with dispensing heavy-body materials, is fully portable, and uses a rechargeable battery.
No longer must you walk to where your bulk mixer is located, load the tray, and then return to the operatory. This unit is fully portable and can be used as a handheld device or in its cradle, and it takes up very little counter space.
The material of choice for this device is the Clinician’s Choice Affinity Heavy Body or Affinity InFlex (either of which will give you three to four full-arch impressions or six to 10 quadrant impressions). Affinity Heavy Body is best for full-arch impressions and available in either regular set (two minutes and 30 seconds) or fast set (one minute and 45 seconds). I generally use Clinician’s Choice Quad-Tray impression trays and the Affinity InFlex with Affinity Light Body. Affinity InFlex is available in both regular set and fast set.
Clinician’s Choice has hit the trifecta with this clever automated PowerMix device and two wonderfully accurate impression materials that will give you quality and accuracy in an efficient manner and enable the creation of an ideal, long-lasting restoration.
Cem EZ adhesive resin cement from Zest Dental Solutions
With so many cements on the market today, there are certain characteristics to look for in choosing a cement: great bond strength, reliable adhesion, no microleakage, easy cleanup, and the ability to cement ceramic and zirconia restorations. Zest Dental Solutions has incorporated these key elements in Cem EZ adhesive resin cement using proprietary IntelliTek Technology, the same technology found in other great products such as Bulk EZ bulk-fill composite.
The manufacturer’s research has shown excellent bond strengths to both dentin and enamel, as well as greater adhesion when used with lithium disilicate and zirconia. Independent research has shown superior protection against microleakage, beyond that of self-adhesive resins and resin-modified glass ionomer cements.
With all that said, I like this cement for its ease of use and because it doesn’t require multiple steps to cement zirconia restorations. There are three shades available: translucent, warm, and opaque, all of which remain color stable over time. Cem EZ is a reasonably priced versatile cement to complement our highly esthetic restorations.
