A Foolproof Recipe for Simple Cementation
One clinician shares why he made the switch to PANAVIA Veneer LC, a light-cure resin cement and member of Kuraray’s high-performing PANAVIA family of cements
When it comes to dental restorative materials, cue the confusion. With so many different cements, primers, and bonding agents on the market, it can be difficult to figure out which combination of products will yield the best and most predictable results.
“If a doctor is seating a veneer and there are 2 options of bonding agents, that can be confusing. Why two?” said Joseph G. Willardsen, DDS, a cosmetic dentist and lecturer in Las Vegas, NV, who has completed specialty training in neuromuscular, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry. “You could use either one with any circumstance, and they both work equally well. So, it really comes down to a matter of preference.”
The Power of Restorative Freedom
One product that offers Dr. Willardsen this kind of restorative freedom is Kuraray’s PANAVIA Veneer LC, which he has used for the past 6 months to seat over 300 veneers. “You can use Universal Bond Quick, which reacts very quickly and only needs a 3-second scrub on the tooth vs 20 seconds, or you can use the PANAVIA V5 Primer, which has a thinner consistency and an extremely high bond strength. Personally, I like the thinner consistency—especially when you have a minimal prep or conservative veneers, you don’t have to worry about the bond thickness changing the way the veneer fits to the tooth. It’s so thin and it’s air dried, so it’s going to fi t exactly the way it did when you tried it in.”
Simplifying Veneer Placement
PANAVIA Veneer LC joins Kuraray’s existing cement family—which includes both PANAVIA SA Cement Universal and PANAVIA V5—the latter of which is Dr. Willardsen’s go-to cement for full and partial coverage in direct restorations. According to Kuraray, the new PANAVIA Veneer LC is a light-cure resin cement with excellent color stability, high wear resistance, and fast and easy cleanup. Designed to reduce the time and effort involved in veneer placement, the cement’s newly developed spherical silica fillers provide stability while still allowing for flow when the veneer is seated on the tooth—making placement significantly easier.
A Cement Worth
Exploring Like most of his peers, Dr. Willardsen already had a go-to veneer cement that was working just fi ne. But being introduced to PANAVIA Veneer LC changed all that. So far, the switch has been 100% worth it.
“There are 3 reasons why I switched to PANAVIA Veneer LC: 1) It cleans up easier, 2) It holds its color better, and 3) It has higher bond strengths,” he said, noting that as materials get stronger and thinner, dentists need to rely on bond strengths more than ever before.
“When you find a cement that’s going to bond 15 or 20% stronger than what you’ve been using for the past 2 decades, that becomes worth it,” he said. “The handling characteristics are much easier, too. It stays in place better, and the consistency is more gel-like, which has been a big factor in my decision to change over.”
Unique Product Chemistry
Dr. Willardsen began using Kuraray restoratives while he was still in dental school. “I realized how good I had it, and have been using the products consistently ever since,” he said. Kuraray cements feature the inclusion of specific monomers, such as the original MDP phosphate monomer and the LCSi monomer, which creates a strong chemical bond to porcelain, lithium disilicate, and composite resin.
While discussing adhesive monomers is a no-brainer for Dr. Willardsen, who recently lectured on advanced biomimetic dentistry at CDA Presents in San Francisco, CA, he says that what matters most to dentists is that the products actually work.
“If you understand the chemistry, it becomes very exciting,” he said. “When you realize that it’s possible to bond to any surface, that’s what gets your attention. Many times, a doctor will have one cement for porcelain-fused-to-metal and another for their IPS e.max and another for zirconia. Kuraray cements are unique because they will work with everything, whether it’s a zirconia crown or something made out of lithium disilicate or metal.”
A one-size-fits-all cement solution becomes increasingly important, says Dr. Willardsen, as more and more dentists turn to zirconia as a cheaper alternative that still has an all-ceramic component. “In the past, doctors were told ‘You can’t chemically bond to zirconia,’ or ‘You can’t get a good bond strength to zirconia,’” he said. “But what we found was that with aluminum oxide blasting and the MDP monomer, we can bond to zirconia, and that’s the key. Once doctors realize they can successfully bond to zirconia, it becomes the answer for them.”
The Future Is Strong
While the future of restorative dentistry shows no signs of slowing down, there’s comfort in having a toolbox of products ready to help create beautiful smiles.
“As modern dentistry is becoming more and more conservative, it’s important that we have the right materials and techniques to accommodate conservative dentistry,” said Dr. Willardsen. “And I think Kuraray has the best record when it comes to bond strengths, material stability, and ease of use. I know that by using PANAVIA cements, I’m able to bond to any surface not only predictably, but better and stronger than any of the other products out there.”
