DURABLE CEMENT FROM BISCO OFFERS EXCEPTIONAL BONDING AND EASE OF USE
Find out why David Hornbrook, DDS, FAACD, believes that TheraCem:
• May lengthen the life of the restoration due to its alkaline pH and ability to release calcium and fluoride.
• Is very easy to use, with self-mixing delivery, a gel-state cleanup, and no priming or etching.
After decades of clinical practice using various materials, I have assembled my wish list for “the” ideal cement.
• Strong adhesion to both tooth structure and restorative material
• Based on resin chemistry for bonding to primer
• Transitions from acidic to alkaline pH
• Dual-cure capabilities for versatility
• Releases calcium and fluoride ions
• High radiopacity
• Ease of handling and cleanup
Last fall, BISCO introduced TheraCem, which offers all of the above, and more. I’m calling it a game changer, and here’s why.
First of Its Kind
Although we’ve had bases and liners that interact with tooth structure as demineralization is occurring, this is the first cement that does this. As bacteria causes acidic changes and decalcifi cation at the margin, Theracem actually may fortify that margin by releasing calcium and fluoride between the cement and the tooth. And as an added bonus, TheraCem can be refortified over time with products like GC America’s MI Paste and 3M Dental Products’ Clinpro 5000 to provide continuous release over the life of the restoration.
Further, TheraCem transitions from an acidic to an alkaline pH in minutes. Studies have shown that an alkaline environment is unfavorable to bacteria and helps promote the formation of new hydroxyapatite.
The Bottom Line
TheraCem is very easy to use… it’s self-mixing, dual-cure, goes to a gel state simply by waving a curing light around the margins, and cleans up easily. Additionally, it’s relatively translucent, so I can use it with materials like high translucency zirconia and lithium disilicate. Other cements with similar benefits are so opaque that you can only use them under very opaque ceramics, PFMs, or gold. I was pleasantly surprised with the esthetics of TheraCem.
I am an adhesive and total-etch proponent, but it’s not always possible, for example, with second molars or subgingival margins, or when you can’t place a rubber dam. With TheraCem, you have a material that bonds better to tooth structure than most self-etching resin cements and is just as easy to use, but you also have the mineral release—calcium and fluoride. The current generation of self-etching resin cements may be going by the wayside.
Anything we can do to help our patients’ restorations last longer is a good thing.
