,3M Scotchbond Universal Plus Adhesive and 3M RelyX Universal Resin Cement streamline direct and indirect restorative workflows while producing reliable results,
,Having performed countless direct and indirect restorations, Dr. Adam Hodges has learned through experience that he can count on 3M for outcomes that are both predictable and durable. “They are very science-driven,” he said of 3M. “I know that the products I’m using have been studied to the nth degree and that I can have confidence in them.”, ,While he has long appreciated 3M’s workhorse adhesive solutions, he believes they’ve been made even better in their newest incarnations: 3M Scotchbond Universal Plus Adhesive and 3M RelyX Universal Resin Cement. Used together or alone, the two materials have broken new ground when it comes to ease of use and bond strength.,
,“They’ve just made it so simple, and simplification really is key when you’re working with a staff in a general practice and doing a lot of complex procedures that cover different fields of dentistry,” said Dr. Hodges, who practices in Asheville, NC. “To have just one bonding agent and one cement that we can trust for all of these procedures that we do every day, that makes everyone’s life easier.”, ,Dr. Hodges believes 3M has arrived at the ideal formula with Scotchbond Universal Plus, providing gold-standard adhesion to all dental and restorative substrates, including glass ceramics. “If you asked me when I graduated dental school, ‘What is the perfect bonding agent?’ I would probably have summarized the attributes of what is now Scotchbond Universal Plus, because I don’t know that it can get any better.”, ,Dr. Hodges recalls being taught in dental school that etching, priming, and bonding were separate steps, each requiring its own product. In practice, he would strive to find the right techniques and ideal mix to yield the greatest strength and the least sensitivity. This amounted to a tedious protocol repeated throughout the day, eating up precious minutes., ,With Scotchbond Universal Plus Adhesive, one bottle is all that’s needed. There are no separate primers or silane, and the product offers full dualand self-cure compatibility without a separate dual-cure activator. “We used Scotchbond Universal for a long time, so we know how great it works. But now they’ve tweaked it and made it better,” Dr. Hodges said. “We no longer deal with sensitivity, which always used to be an issue. I no longer need to reach for my dual-cure activator when working with a dual-cure composite. And my restorations are even more predictable.”, , ,
, ,“To have just one bonding agent and one cement that we can trust for all of these procedures that we do every day, that makes everyone’s life easier.”
—Adam Hodges, DMD , , ,A favorite attribute of Scotchbond Universal Plus Adhesive is the dentin-like radiopacity that minimizes the risk of x-ray misdiagnosis. Because most adhesives aren’t radiopaque, Dr. Hodges said it’s not uncommon for dentists to mistake an adhesive layer for a gap, decay, or an open margin. “You’d wonder to yourself, ‘What’s going on there?’ Now you can have more confidence because the bonding agent looks like dentin on x-rays, allowing for a more accurate diagnosis.”, ,While simplicity and radiopacity are critical factors, Scotchbond Universal Plus Adhesive also provides the ability to bond and seal caries-affected dentin. By creating a well-defined, void-free hybrid layer to help prevent secondary decay, this material allows dentists to offer more minimally invasive procedures and maximize the preservation of natural tooth structure., ,“The challenge was always that you needed to get rid of anything that had decay. And often, you’d create a situation where you’re deeper than you’d like to be,” said Dr. Hodges. “Now, you can feel confident that you don’t have to remove all of the sclerotic dentin because this will seal it and bond to it.”, ,RelyX Universal Resin Cement works as both a standalone, self-adhesive cement, as well as an adhesive cement when used in tandem with Scotchbond Universal Plus Adhesive. As a self-adhesive resin cement, RelyX Universal delivers ideal bond strength to dentin and is capable of treating virtually all indications with or without light-curing., , ,Years ago, Dr. Hodges would occasionally have patients return because their zirconia crown came off, and he’d find that the cement never really bonded to the crown or the tooth. “I’m not seeing that anymore,” he said. “That’s in large part due to the fact that we understand how to treat substrates better, but also because we now have cements that do what they’re supposed to do in terms of bonding.”, ,Dr. Hodges believes RelyX Universal Resin Cement delivers superior strength in a more ergonomic delivery system that reduces waste. The multiple advantages of the proprietary delivery system include a self-sealing design for hygienic storage, a 3.4-gram syringe that holds about 15 to 20 applications, and Micro Mixing Tips that create 80% less cement waste per application., ,“You get a lot more out of the syringe because you’re wasting much less,” he said, noting that delivery is easier due to the smaller size of the single-barrel syringe. Cleanup is also improved, because the cement’s unique chemistry ensures excess outflow stays put at the restoration margins and can be easily removed after tack curing. For post-endodontic restorations, RelyX Universal Resin Cement also includes an elongation tip that is thin and flexible for easy cement application into the root canal., ,RelyX Universal Resin Cement and Scotchbond Universal Plus Adhesive eliminate the need for multiple products to be used in a given procedure, streamlining the restorative workflow and simplifying inventory. “One of the nice things about 3M,” Dr. Hodges noted, “is they incorporate user feedback and ask the question, ‘How can we make things easier and more cost-effective for dentists?’ And, as a result, they’re giving us products that we can have confidence in.”
