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Ultradents Peak SE and Peak LC, the Tomorrowland of Adhesive Dentistry

hen I was much younger, I remember visiting a Tomorrowland exhibit at Disneyland that portrayed what the future might be like. At the end of the exhibit, the announcer said, Better living through chemistrybrought to you by Monsanto. Now Ive come to understand how true this was. Certainly, the world of dentistry today revolves around chemistry. In my opinion, the most notable influence chemistry has had in the dental profession is in adhesive dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry has been the backbone of most dental practices for a number of years. Any practice that places tooth-colored composite resin restorations is practicing under the cosmetic dentistry umbrella--not to mention the fact that most offices offer whitening procedures. These procedures are part of the average dental practice, all of which rely on better chemistry. With advances in the chemistries used for adhesive dentistry, were able to concentrate more on preservation of the tooth structure. Our primary objective should be to save the healthy tooth enamel and dentin, using the motto if its not decayeddont touch it. There are important factors to be aware of with todays adhesive materials. We need chemistry that does not leave gaps between the composite, dentin, and enamel to avoid microleakage becoming a problem. Because the gingival margin is the most critical area, we need a bonding liquid that seals the gingival margin to avoid leakage. This reJames Jesse, DDS Dental Product Shopper Editorial Advisory Board Member Private Practice Colton, CA Phone: 909.825.7403 E-mail: jamesjessedds@aol.com

quires us to search for a primer and a bonding agent that has high bond strength numbers (50 MPa to 70 MPa using shear bond testing) with both dentin and enamel. This will result in a durable bond that will maintain adhesion for years. This should be consistent with anterior or posterior teeth, and be stable, easy to use, and priced right. Ive tried a variety of other bonding agents in the past but Ive found that Ultradent has developed one of the best self-etching primer and bond combinations available in dentistryPeak SE and Peak LC. With Peak SE and Peak

FigureBond strengths of self-etching bonding systems to dentin and enamel.1

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LC, Ive experienced consistent and high bond strength to both enamel and dentin. This was also supported by testing by independent university research (Figure).1 Use the self-etching primer as a 30-second scrub followed by a vacuum close to the tooth for 3 seconds. This should be followed by a bond that is a 10-second scrub, followed by light air for 10 seconds, and finishing with a 3-second light cure with Ultradents VALO curing light in plasma emulation mode. The syringe dispenser has a 1-

way end to keep air out and preserve the freshness and stability, with no cap to remove or accidentally drop into a container. The chemistry stays consistent to the very end of the syringe. With its higher bond strength numbers, stability, ease of use, and cost, Ultradent Peak SE and Peak LC is one of my Disneyland favorites.

Reference
1. AADR Abstract #0825, Dallas 2008.

Dental Learning / April 2011

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