Dr. Horn earned his DMD degree from Temple University in 1992 and owns Horn Family Dental in Hegins, PA, where he has practiced general dentistry for more than 32 years. A Colonel for the medical detachment at Ft. Indiantown Gap, Dr. Horn is the state dental officer for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, and served as a field dentist for the 2nd brigade combat team, 28th Infantry Division, in Ramadi, Iraq.
There’s a wealth of factors that contribute to the success of a restoration, but I’ve found one of the biggest keys to success is using high-quality, reliable materials. I’ve been practicing for over 3 decades, and I’ve come to rely on many BISCO products in my workflow. The following case is a great example of how using materials that consistently work well—in this case an effective cement—can spell the difference between a successful restoration and one that’s not.
Case in Point
In this case, a 47-year-old man presented with a large, broken-down, pin-supported composite restoration on tooth No. 3. After discussion, we determined it would be best to restore tooth No. 3 with a full-coverage BruxZir zirconia crown. I like to use BruxZir in single-unit posterior cases because of its strength and versatility. On a personal note, I have 3 single-unit BruxZir crowns in my own mouth! I love the way they function and feel.
Tooth No. 3 was prepared, and then scanned with the DEXIS IS 3800W wireless intraoral scanner (Figure 1). After try-in, the intaglio surface of the BruxZir restoration was cleaned with BISCO’s ZirClean, a cleaning agent designed for non-abrasive cleaning of bonding surfaces of zirconia after intraoral try-in (Figure 2). I use ZirClean on every crown after try-in to eliminate phosphate contamination and achieve reliable cementation.
I then used BISCO’s TheraCem to cement the crown (Figure 3). I like to use TheraCem in cases where I have a retentive preparation, and it was my cement of choice for this crown. TheraCem’s ease of use, simple cleanup, as well as fluoride- and calcium-releasing properties made it an ideal choice for this treatment. Figure 4 (periapical) and Figure 5 (bitewing) are postop radiographs. Figures 6-8 depict the new crown and completed restoration.
Happy Patient, Successful Restoration
The patient was pleased with the results. Additionally, he was impressed with the improved contacts provided by his new crown.
As an additional note, I also cemented a total of 20 single units using TheraCem on a closed bite case over 2 years ago. I recently examined this patient and am pleased to report that all 20 single units are still functioning without any failures.
