Encore D/C MiniMix ensures solid, securely bonded posts and cores with automixing, dual-curing, and direct bottom-of-the-hole delivery.
The Encore D/C MiniMix system from Centrix is a dual-cure, unit-dose core build-up material in a miniature automix cartridge. The material is nonslumping, cuts like dentin, and can be light-activated to accelerate set time. The exclusive Encore D/C needle tip enables direct delivery to the bottom of the post hole, and the automix and dual-cure features speed procedure times and ensure depth of cure.
Encore D/C MiniMix has a compressive strength of 222.35 Mpa and a flexural strength of 110 Mpa. It comes in natural and contrast (blue) shades, and it is available with fluoride release.
Ease of Use (Delivery System)
Encore D/C MiniMix is injected directly to the bottom of the post hole with slow, steady pressure; filling continues by injecting and slowly withdrawing the needletip. After the material is allowed to fully cure, the core is cut and shaped. If an accelerated set is desired, the material can be light-activated for 20 seconds.
Of the 12 dentists who evaluated Encore D/C MiniMix, 7 rated ease of use as excellent, 4 rated it as very good, and 1 rated it as good. The delivery system was rated as excellent by 7 evaluators, as very good by 3, and as fair by 2. One evaluator said the “[needle tip] could be shorter for better lingual access.” One evaluator called it “extremely easy to use,” citing delivery as the feature he liked most and “pressure required for dispensing” as something he’d like to see improved. An additional 6 evaluators called the delivery system their favorite feature, with comments including “allows for easy placement” and “dispenses very easily.” The New Jersey dentist who rated all features as excellent said “uni-dose dispensing with 2 tips is great when you need to add more,” and suggested that the shade (blue or dentin) be clearly labeled on the compule. Another evaluator who rated all features as excellent said “a more intense blue would make it easier to distinguish the appropriate marginal extension on difficult- to-see areas,” also noting that the delivery system “allowed placement into difficult-to-access areas. The tip was long enough to allow visualization during placement, something not possible with a large, blunt applicator tip.”
Handling and Cuttability
Encore D/C is nonslumping, eliminating the need for a matrix, and reduces ditching by cutting like dentin. Handling was rated as excellent by 8 evaluators and as very good to good by 4. Ten evaluators rated cuttability as excellent and 2 rated it as very good. One dentist said, “it cuts like dentin.” Another dentist said, “Viscosity is ideal in some situations (smaller spaces needing more flow) but frustrating when trying to shape the core with a plastic instrument. It’s difficult to adapt and/or sculpt before curing.” One evaluator said it “handles very well and didn’t slump” and another said, “the lack of slump let me put it where I wanted it and in the shape I needed.” A dentist who said “surface tension seemed low…difficult to get even contact with the entire surface” called it “good for limited applications (too thick for deep build-ups following RCT).” The same evaluator said it was “excellent for superficial buildups because it doesn’t slump and is easy to position without a matrix.” Other comments included “good flow, leaving fewer voids” and “handling properties afforded good adaptation while the consistency was adequate to retain its shape and not create a mess.”
Overall Satisfaction
Immediate bond strength and depth of cure were both rated as excellent by 8 evaluators and as very good by 4. One evaluator was “pleasantly surprised” and another was “very impressed and will continue to use it.” All 12 evaluators said they would definitely or probably recommend Encore D/C MiniMix; 10 would definitely or probably purchase it. Overall satisfaction was rated as excellent by 8 evaluators and as very good to good by 4. “The light-cure, quick-set and the longer self-cure is a great combination. It increases the versatility and options for use,” said a North Dakota dentist. “It’s a very good product,” said a Virginia dentist in practice for 29 years. “It’s a valuable addition to my armamentarium.”
