A Restorative Workflow That’s Ultra-Effective

It’s no secret that composite restorations and single crowns are the bread and butter of a general practice, which means that having the right tools and ingredients to create these sandwiches—or services—is essential. Within its vast product portfolio, Ultradent offers several uniquely designed solutions that make clinicians' lives easier at nearly every step of a restoration. Here are a few that have been deemed DPS Best Products over the years.

Ultra-Etch: Etch with Confidence

With a unique self-limiting chemistry that reduces the risk of over-etching and creates the optimal surface for strong adhesion, Ultra-Etch 35% phosphoric acid solution passed its DPS product review with flying colors—earning high marks for its simple delivery, easy visualization, lack of slumping, and reduced sensitivity.

“Since etchant is one of the few items we use in our practice for almost every restorative procedure, it must be reliable and able to handle everything clinicians need it to do,” noted Dr. Kevin Anderson. “Ultra-Etch’s self-limiting quality is a confidence builder, and the deep blue color makes it very easy to see if you have completely washed it away.

A trusted etchant solution for over 3 decades, Ultra-Etch penetrates the smallest fissures or occlusal surfaces, while its ideal viscosity maintains a layer thick enough to prevent it from running on vertical surfaces or drying prematurely.

“Ultra-Etch has many great clinical qualities, is of reasonable cost, and has one of the best track records of phosphoric acid etchants out there,” added Dr. Anderson.

Transcend: Simplify Shade Matching

“Like a lot of dentists, I’ve struggled with composite shade matching, especially when it comes to anterior restorations,” said Susan McMahon, DMD, AAACD, FACD, who frequently lectures on the topic of conservative cosmetics. She emphasized the constant pressure to balance patients’ esthetic expectations with the sheer number of products on the market that promise to meet them.

That's precisely why Transcend has been a welcome addition to her armamentarium. While not yet a DPS Best Product, the material debuts Ultradent’s patented Resin Particle Match technology, which allows a single Universal Body shade to take on the shade of surrounding dentition.

“The Resin Particle Match technology means that it has a beautiful chameleon effect, so its Universal Body shade can be used on pretty much all posterior teeth and most anterior teeth without layering,” said Dr. McMahon. “I don’t need to stock 10 shades of composite or spend time monitoring to make sure I always have what I need. It also polishes like a dream, and patients notice.”

VALO: X Marks the Curing Spot

There are more than 250,000 VALO curing lights in practices around the world, and according to Neil Jessop, Ultradent’s SVP of Research and Development, the reason behind that is simple: quality.

“A lot of LED curing lights are kind of plasticky and feel about as durable as a TV remote,” he said. “That's why our first goal when making VALO was to start with an aerospace-grade aluminum. We also built its patent-protected, unibody construction considering a common law in engineering, which says that by reducing the number of parts a product has, you reduce the failure modes.”

Fast-forward to the latest iteration of the VALO curing light, VALO X, a DPS Best Product and one of the lowest profile curing lights on the market with the largest uniform footprint at 12.5 mm.

“VALO X performs flawlessly, has excellent design and perfect weight, and is fast and easy to operate,” noted Dr. Rodolfo Olmos. “It is a must-have for any dentist who is serious about getting perfectly cured restorations.”

Jiffy Universal: Get a Beautiful Polish in a Jiff

Just as universal adhesives and composites simplify restorative procedures, the Jiffy Universal polishing system offers adjusters and polishers that work interchangeably on porcelain, lithium disilicate, and zirconia. With a variety of shapes and sizes to meet all adjusting, finishing, and polishing needs, as well as rpm listed on the bur blocks, Jiffy Universal creates a seamless polishing experience—or as one DPS evaluator put it: “Quicker adjustments and less chair time make a happier patient.”

“The Jiffy Universal System worked well to adjust zirconia crowns, which can be rather difficult to adjust and repolish using conventional ceramic polishers,” added Debra Haselton, DDS. “I like the fact that it is a ‘system,’ so it is very clear which grit serves which function. It has allowed me to better streamline my zirconia crown deliveries when adjustments are needed.”

When it's time to finish composite restorations, the Jiffy polishing line also includes Jiffy Spin, ultrathin disks coated with aluminum oxide that range from coarse to fine and are ideal for interproximal finishing and shaping, as well as Jiffy One, single-use polishers formulated with Ultradent’s advanced diamond grit to deliver a smooth, high-quality polish in just 1 or 2 steps.