Tuff-Temp Provisional Material

Pulpdent

This strong, impact-resistant material does not shrink or distort, providing patients with an esthetic provisional.

Patients expect a lot from their provisional restorations. While they wait for their final restorations, patients want their provisionals to protect their teeth against sensitivity and damage, and they want them to be esthetically pleasing. Tuff-Temp provisional veneer, crown and bridge resin was designed by Pulpdent to meet those demands. It is made of impact-resistant rubberizedurethane that will not shrink or distort. In addition, it grips the tooth tightly, virtually eliminating fractures and debonding.

Thirteen dentists from across the country participated in this Dental Product Shopper evaluation of Tuff-Temp. They evaluated such features as usefulness of the dual-cure option, ease of use, strength, and final esthetics.

Dual-Curing

Tuff-Temp is a dual cure material—it self-cures, or it can be light-cured to create a full-strength provisional restoration on demand. Light curing is also ideal with a clear vinyl polysiloxane template.

When asked to rate the advantages gained with the dual-cure option, 7 evaluators rated Tuff-Temp as excellent, 5 rated it as very good, and 1 rated it as fair (1 evaluator did not rate this item). A prosthodontist with 15 years of experience said, “I like the dual-cure feature; [it provides] better control over the curing than self-cure.”

Ease of Use

The evaluators were asked to rate the ease of use of Tuff-Temp, with emphasis on application with a matrix as well as trimming and finishing. Six evaluators rated ease of use as excellent, 3 rated it as very good, 4 rated it as good to fair. Three evaluators said they had difficulty dispensing the material, noting this as a feature they would like to see improved.

An evaluator in practice for 14 years liked “the handling characteristics” best. He also liked “the excellent polish ability, add-on glaze, the fact that it is dual-cure, [and] size of the syringe.”

Strength

The strength of Tuff-Temp was evaluated for both long-span/long-term cases and single units. All 13 evaluators rated the material strength for singleunit cases: 5 as excellent, 5 as very good, 2 as good, and 1 as fair. Seven evaluators rated the strength with long-span/ long-term cases: 2 as excellent, 1 as very good, 2 as good, and 2 as fair.

One evaluator described Tuff-Temp as “shockingly durable and easy to use.” Another evaluator said, “It was stronger than any other temp products I have used over the past several years.”

Add-On Glaze and Final Esthetics

The Provisional Glaze included with Tuff-Temp is formulated from the same rubberized urethane chemistry as Tuff- Temp. According to the manufacturer, the glaze provides enhanced esthetics and patient satisfaction.

When asked to rate the benefits of the glaze, 8 evaluators rated it as excellent, 1 rated it as very good, and 2 rated it as good (2 did not rate this item). Four evaluators rated final esthetics as excellent, 5 rated them as very good, and 4 rated them as good. One evaluator liked “the option to use the glaze,” and another said, “The glaze was very quick and easy to apply.”

Overall Satisfaction

At the end of the evaluation, the participating dentists were asked to give their overall satisfaction rating of Tuff- Temp. Five evaluators gave an overall satisfaction rating of excellent, 5 rated it as very good, and 3 rated it as good to fair. A dentist from Texas with 5 years of experience said, “Great product...Holds its own with all the big players.” Another evaluator said, “Just try it, you’ll have another great trick in your tool box.”