A Step Through Guide For Your Restorative Treatments
For use with either the Bioclear Method or traditional restorative treatments, this collection of tools can ensure positive patient outcomes, while adding efficiency and profitability to your workflow
The list of leading-edge restorative options gets longer by the day, and if you ask a dozen dentists for their preferred technique, you’ll likely hear a dozen different answers. But all clinicians agree on the necessity of conserving as much natural tooth as possible, and topping the list in this goal is the Bioclear Method. Developed almost 2 decades ago, the Bioclear Method is a conservative technique that uses special molds with injected heated composites that wrap around the entire natural tooth.
"You’re going to do better dentistry if you use these products, and better dentistry means higher efficiency…”
- Frank Milnar, DDS, AAACD
Frank J. Milnar, DDS, AAACD, uses the Bioclear Method for his restorative treatments and relies on 4 tools from DirectaDentalGroup: the ContacEZ Restorative Strip System, the Ronvig Microblaster Dento-Prep, and the DirectaDental FenderWedge and FenderMate. All 4 of these Directa products can be used for either the Bioclear Method or traditional restorative procedures.
About 5 years ago, instead of restoring teeth in the traditional manner, Dr. Milnar began using the Bioclear Method, effectively restoring the entire tooth instead of patching a small section of decayed or damaged tooth. He believes the Bioclear Method results in restorations that are more durable and resistant to damage—such as chipping, staining, and cracking—plus significantly longer-lasting than traditional methods.
A Rejuvenating Restorative Technique
“This is not a typical G.V. Black method of cutting a box in a tooth and filling it with layers,” Dr. Milnar explained. “It’s a rejuvenation technique versus a disease method and it puts the material around the tooth versus in a slot preparation. Most importantly, it’s thermal viscous which means we are changing the viscosity with a warm composite and injection molded into the matrix, which is monolithic and can be done in only 1 layer using engineered preparation designs. This is different from traditional methods which use layers on top of layers to get to the top while also reducing the size of the tooth. You might compare it to putting a helmet on a tooth that can’t leak and can’t break.”
Dr. Milnar, of Franco & Associates Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in St. Paul, MN, earned a master track certification for Bioclear, and he relies on a collection of DirectaDental products for his restorative treatments, beginning first with the all-important grooming process.
ContacEZ Restorative Strip System
“In order to create the opportunistic access for the Bioclear products, I need to groom the contact, and I reach for the ContacEZ Restorative Strip System,” Dr. Milnar explained. “I have to sand the contact so that the matrices can slide into place without impinging on the seating of the matrix—I need to make room for at least 1 75-micron matrix.” ContacEZ’s Restorative Strip System makes interproximal contact adjustments safer and more accurate, and will not create sharp corners or subgingival ledges. The single-handed, ergonomic design reduces hand fatigue and also ensures access to posterior areas. The strips gently curve and flex to follow the natural contours of the teeth, a design feature that is more comfortable for patients and reduces the chance of cutting lips and gums.
Ronvig Microblaster Dento-Prep
“My next step in the process is to remove biofilm, and for this step I use the Ronvig Microblaster Dento-Prep,” Dr. Milnar said. “I want a plaque-free, debris-free substrate or else my restorative is not going to last long, and a simple pumice alone is not effective in removing biofilm. It’s essential that all biofilm is removed, because you cannot bond onto biofilm—it’s like painting on rust.”
Made from high-grade stainless steel and autoclavable, Ronvig’s Dento-Prep is suitable for surface cleaning and micro-roughening of ceramic, composite, and metal surfaces prior to cementation. The compact instrument has a fully rotating nozzle that can be fixed in any position and can be used for both intraoral and extraoral applications. “I like the universal capability of the Dento-Prep, because it can be used with aluminum and/or silicon oxide powder, and I don’t want to use anything too abrasive,” Dr. Milnar shared. “The Dento-Prep cleans the tooth well and ensures the surface is biofilm-free.”
DirectaDental FenderWedge
Next in the process, Dr. Milnar reaches for Directa’s FenderWedge, a combination of a steel plate and a plastic wedge that allows for easy separation of the teeth and application of a matrix. FenderWedge also prevents damage to adjacent teeth and gingiva, a common occurrence during Class II preparations.
“One mandatory tenet of the Bioclear Method is pre-wedging, and I use FenderWedge to loosen the periodontal ligaments and open the contact so that I can slide the matrix in easier,” Dr. Milnar explained. “If we pre-wedge before restoring a tooth, the contacts are going to be tighter because the tooth rebounds,” he added.
DirectaDental FenderMate
Dr. Milnar also uses Directa’s FenderMate, a 1-piece design with no cervical overhang that functions as a kind of shield. Designed to be inserted either buccally or lingually, the matrix reaches from the base of the wedge to just above the occlusal surface. During insertion, the angled wing presses the matrix firmly against the preparation, providing a tight seal at the cervical margin.
“The FenderMate allows me to proceed with my adhesion and phosphoric acid, and then backfill the tooth,” he added. Dr. Milnar is quick to point out that it’s not necessary to use the Bioclear Method in order to witness the amazing results these Directa products provide—they are noteworthy with traditional restorative methods, as well.
“No matter which method you use, you have to groom the contact, which is a universal tenet, and you have to make room for the matrices,” Dr. Milnar shared. “You’re going to do better dentistry if you use these products, and better dentistry means higher efficiency, more reliable and predictable patient outcomes, and ultimately better business, which is directly linked to profitability,” he added.
To learn more about the entire DirectaDentalGroup product line, call 800.537.8765 or visit www.directadentalusa.com.
