Product Evaluation

CENTRIX

Tempit-E Evaluation

A moisture-activated, temporary filling and sealing material with eugenol to help relieve pain and discomfort

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is experiencing unprecedented trials and tribulations. Dentistry is facing its own special set of challenges due to the inherent nature of the virus, which may be spread by respiratory droplets. When forced to close their practices and treat only emergency patients for several weeks, many dentists turned to temporary solutions to tide an emergency patient over until full restorative treatment could be safely performed. “Especially in the time of a pandem­ic, there has been a lot more temporizing until pa­tients can come in for definitive treatment,” explained Dr. Bilyana Tesic.

However, just like with permanent restorations, each temporary restoration has different require­ments, and one material may not be suitable for all patients. Centrix offers 4 unique temporary filling materials in its Tempit line of products—Tempit, Tempit-L/C, Tempit Ultra-F, and the newest addition, Tempit-E. Comprised of the regular Tempit formula with eugenol added to provide relief from pain and discomfort, Tempit-E is a temporary filling and sealing material with a unique no-mix delivery system.

According to Dr. Tesic, temporary cement normal­ly takes too long to mix, but Tempit-E’s pre-filled, single-component cartridges eliminate mixing while saving valuable chair time. “With pre-filled capsules, there is no mixing needed, no mixing pads, no spat­ulating, no guessing the right consistency, and no cleanup—it practically does all the work for you,” Dr. Tesic noted. “It’s easy to use and has been quite use­ful; it lessens the irritation and temporizes the tooth in question. Tempit-E is a useful addition to any dentist’s armamentarium,” she added.

Dispensing & Handling

Indicated for temporary filling use and as a liner in deep preparations, Tempit-E’s unique delivery sys­tem requires no mixing, spatulation, or messy place­ment. Pre-filled, single-patient tips eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination that occurs when scooping material from open jars or when open­ing and closing large bulk tubs. Dispensed with a composite gun, each 0.35-gram pre-filled unit-dose tip allows precise delivery directly into the prep; it is moisture activated so setting begins when it con­tacts a moist tooth or saliva. “Dispensing zinc oxide eugenol directly into a small access opening is made easy with the delivery tip,” stated Dr. Gary Chike. The pre-filled tips make appointment times shorter, said Dr. Dustin McCammon, and Dr. Erica Anand declared, “It was definitely a lot easier to use than mixing tradi­tional intermediate restorative material (IRM).”

After using Tempit-E for emergency patients, in unfinished cavity preps, and as a liner, Dr. Peter Schott said it’s easy to place with the Centrix gun and that moisture control is less of a problem during placement. “Tempit-E has a very convenient com­pule delivery,” shared Dr. Charles Crowl, who said the consistency could be a little stiffer. Dr. Carrie Nie­ mann liked the texture and said it was easy to apply and easier to handle than other water-activated provisional materials. Dr. McCammon said the material some­times stuck to instruments, but wetting the instrument removed the stickiness. Practitioners also can dispense material on a pad and pre-wet it before placement to add viscosity and eliminate any tackiness. Dr. Paul Olenyn said Tempit-E was “soft and easy to place” but recommended that it be a little stiffer. Another dentist, who said the moisture activation was his favorite feature, said the material was a little too viscous.

Time Savings

The moisture-activated formula sets in 5 minutes, expanding slightly when set to eliminate microleakage and bacterial ingress. While a few dentists suggested a faster setting time, most agreed that temporization procedures with Tempit-E were quick and efficient. “I especially liked the quick dispensing and easy cleanup, which made procedures much faster,” shared Dr. Anand, who said less mixing time was especially beneficial for young patients. Dr. McCammon said that using Tempit-E was faster than mixing a similar product. “Premixed zinc oxide in a conve­nient delivery tip speeds up production in a busy dental practice,” shared Dr. Chike. Dr. Niemann said she enjoyed “not having to wait for my assistant to mix IRM or hope the texture is correct.”

Eugenol for Pain Relief

By adding eugenol to the Tempit formula, Tempit-E acts as an anti-inflammatory and local anesthetic to help sedate inflamed pulp and facilitate pulpal healing, according to Centrix. Dr. Schott used Tempit-E on patients who were missing a filling or inlay and the tooth was sensitive. “We really didn’t have time to treat them but needed to do something,” he explained. After cleansing with chlorhexidine and placing Tempit-E, patients received temporary relief until they could come back for final treatment. “Tempit-E is an easy-to-use tool to quickly seal a sensitive tooth,” he added.

"Tempit-E is a useful addition to any dentist's armamentarium."
-Billyana Tesic, DDS
Monterey, CA

Overall Satisfaction

Tempit-E is a “quick, easy, and efficient temporary filling for pediatric patients,” shared Dr. Anand, who said she would rec­ommend and purchase the material in the future. “When we need a temporary that is easy to place on a sensitive or ‘hot’ tooth until we can do more treatment or get the patient to a specialist, Tempit-E delivers as promised,” said Dr. Schott. “I always like Centrix products for their ease of delivery.”

Takeaways

• A temporary filling and sealing material with eugenol that also can be used as a liner

• Unique delivery system saves time with no mixing, spatulation, or messy placement

• Pre-filled unit-dose tip allows precise delivery directly into the prep

• Eugenol acts as an anti-inflammatory and local anesthetic to help sedate inflamed pulp