DentaltownUK July 2018 - 29

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by Dr Wynn Jenkins
Dr Wynn Jenkins
qualified in dentistry at
the Welsh National School
of Medicine in 1984 and
went on to achieve his
DPDS in 2006. Since
graduating he has been
in private practice.
Jenkins has a keen
interest in aesthetics and
restorative dentistry and has lectured extensively
around the UK, Ireland and the USA. He has also had
many articles published in dental journals.

It's All in the Chemistry
Why knowing how different restorative materials
work together is essential to choosing the right
combinations for function and durability

Having taught restorative dentistry
for 25 years and been practising a range of
restorative disciplines as a dental practitioner
for even longer, I have come to recognise that
there is a significant challenge facing all of
us in restorative dentistry.
It would seem that there is a widespread
lack of understanding of how different
materials work in the mouth and that this
is leading many clinicians to use materials
inappropriately or in the wrong combinations,
which then causes premature failure or
possibly low-quality results.
I come across this time and again and
the answer, in my opinion, is for clinicians-
including newly qualified graduates-to
seek training in the chemistry of and latest
thinking in adhesive and restorative dentistry.
One of the reasons I undertake postgraduate
training is to give clinicians an understanding
of the basic principles of:
* How things work.
* How different restorative systems
are put together
* How they work in conjunction
with each other to get the best
possible results.
If there are gaps in a dentist's knowledge
in these areas, it's crucial that he or she fills
them and then learns how to apply that
knowledge in a clinical setting.

Minimally invasive materials
There are many composite and adhesive
systems available to modern clinicians,
but the key to finding the right range of

materials are those that enable me to give my
patients strong, biocompatible and durable
restorations whilst retaining as much tooth
structure as possible.
I am a big advocate of minimally invasive
restorations, so the materials I choose to work
with must help me minimise the amount of
tooth reduction required.
I regularly use restorative fibres such as
GrandTEC-which are resin-impregnated,
light curing, glass fibre strands-and combine
them with Admira Fusion, a purely ceramicbased restorative. They work really well
together to deliver reliable and predictable
long-term restorations.
When it comes to chemistry, I was initially
impressed with Admira Fusion's innovative
ORMOCER (Organically Modified Ceramic)
technology, which contains no monomers,
making it highly biocompatible whilst still
retaining a high compressive strength. The
low polymerisation shrinkage (1.25 percent)
means no microleakage problems and I find
I can create durable aesthetics.

Getting the right technique
As with all things, success also depends
on technique and how you combine your
materials together. There is a lot to be said
for using products that have been developed
to work together. I often use VOCO's
Futurabond U as my adhesive with Admira
Fusion, because using materials that have
been developed together, and by the same
manufacturer, can reduce the risk factors for
error and compatibility issues.

Working with a
manufacturer that listens
It's good to work with a company that
listens to what clinicians want and then
innovates in order to put those ideas into
production.
My relationship with VOCO is not purely
about using its products. Over the years, I
have built up a productive connection with
the company, and have become a Fellow,
attending its biennial VOCO International
Fellowship Symposium at which dentists
and technicians from across 20 different
countries come together to discuss the latest
trends, innovations and matters concerning
dentistry. It truly becomes a team event.
It's encouraging that companies such as
VOCO are working to develop new solutions
to meet the challenges that we clinicians face.
The onus is now on us to keep up to
date with the latest science that is fuelling
the development of a new generation of
materials, to seek out the right training
opportunities to learn about them, and then
put that knowledge into clinical practice.
To f ind out more about VOCO's
wide range of restorative and minimally
invasive products or to contact your
local VOCO dental consultant, visit
www.voco.social. ■

@VOCOUK

@VOCOuk

dentaltownuk.com \\ SUMMER 2018

29
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DentaltownUK July 2018
