Practical Advice for Busy Restorative Dentists

Alan welcomes Dr. Zach Meiners, co-host of the Very Clinical podcast and restorative dentist extraordinaire, back to the Very Dental podcast. They dive deep into their shared passion for glass ionomer (GI) restorative materials. Sparked by Alan's recent solo episode on using glass ionomer for groove restorations the guys talk GI in depth. 

• Glass Ionomer (GI) as a Primary Restorative: Both doctors advocate for GI (like Fuji 9 or Equia) as a legitimate, permanent restorative material for specific classes of restorations, moving past its traditional use as only a provisional or base.

• Ideal Clinical Applications: GI is highly effective for:

  • Class I, III, and V restorations, particularly on posterior teeth where aesthetics are less critical.

  • Geriatric and Pediatric patients due to its forgiving nature, minimal technique sensitivity, and fluoride release.

  • Core Build-ups: Zach considers it his main build-up material, noting its reliable adhesion and stability against being pulled out by temporary crowns.

  • Crown Margin Repairs.

• Material Benefits: GI offers several advantages over traditional resin or amalgam:

  • No Post-Operative Sensitivity and Minimal Shrinkage.

  • Forgiving Technique in less-than-ideal isolation situations, sticking particularly well to dentin.

  • Continued Hardening for months after the initial set, leading to excellent longevity and a surprisingly low failure rate.

• Efficiency and Cost: While the initial cost of GI is relatively high, the efficiency gained from eliminating the need for separate etching and bonding steps (using only a cavity conditioner provided in the kit) and the speed of placement makes it a cost-effective choice in terms of time and materials.

• Placement and Setting:

  • Placement Technique: For occlusal restorations (like in grooves), Alan recommends over-squirting the material and using a moist, gloved finger to push it into the grooves, or using an anti-stick agent like Stick Free for metal instruments.

  • Accelerating Set: Though not a light-cure material, applying the curing light can accelerate the chemical setting reaction via heat, cutting the two-and-a-half-minute set time down to about 90 seconds.

• The GI "Dream": The doctors agree that a future GI material with the strength to reliably handle Class II restorations would revolutionize the entire direct restorative market, given GI's unique benefits.

 Some links from the show:

• Fuji IX
• Fuji Equia Forte 

Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy," "Lipscomb" or "Gary!"

The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!

--

Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!

--

The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!

--

Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!

--

CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!