4 Reasons to Use Patterson’s LC Monoshade

Esthetics or efficiency? When it comes to traditional composite resins, clinicians have historically had to choose one or the other, as shade selection inevitably adds time to every restorative procedure. Fortunately, the emergence of single-shade materials like LC Monoshade, a radiopaque light-cure composite from Patterson Dental, not only takes the guesswork out of shade matching but offers additional benefits that help streamline restorative success. Here are 4 reasons why dentists say LC Monoshade is worth adding to your armamentarium:

1. One Shade for an Esthetic Match

Featuring continuous color matching properties, LC Monoshade can match most natural tooth shades with just 1 shade. And for discolored teeth, dentists can conveniently mask the shade by combining LC Monoshade with Patterson LC Opaquer. Together, this duo ensures easy, efficient shade matching in both the posterior and anterior.

After using LC Monoshade during a recent Dental Product Shopper Product Review, Dr. Akshay Vij remarked, “Chameleon color matching has come a long way—the shade matched most clinical situations, even without an opaquer.” Similarly, Dr. David Fang called LC Monoshade the “best monochromatic composite” he’s ever used, noting that it gave him “full confidence for color matching.” As for LC Opaquer, Dr. Sarwandeep Bath described it as “so dense” that “the dark hue does not shine through the composite." He added, “There are not many products like this on the market.”

2. Problem-Free Handling & Placement

While material placement can be a stumbling block in many restorative procedures, LC Monoshade simplifies this step thanks to its outstanding handling properties. The composite is designed to be flowable yet sculptable and dispenses easily via your choice of individual .25g capsules or 4g syringes.

Compared to a competitive composite he regularly uses, Dr. Christopher Greenwaldt noted that LC Monoshade “is much smoother and easier to sculpt,” and doesn’t result in the usual clumping. “I like how it is easy to manipulate, and there is plenty of time to sculpt the material, even with a headlight in use,” he said. Dr. Fang echoed this, stating, “The material handled great with no tackiness; therefore, there was no pulling and no slumping.”

3. Universal Reliability

At the end of the day, what matters most is that a composite produces a restorative result clinicians can be proud of. LC Monoshade delivers on this front as well, consistently guaranteeing beautiful restorations that blend in seamlessly with anterior and posterior teeth. The material features a 2 mm depth of cure and easily polishes to a lustrous, high shine, making it a truly universal composite for Class I, Class II, and Class V restorations.

“It’s nice to see a composite that is multifunctional,” Thomas Morgan, DDS, said of LC Monoshade. “Overall, I love the flexibility of how universally applicable it is.” Dr. Fang likewise shared that, when he used LC Monoshade as a buildup material on a lower anterior tooth next to a 3-unit porcelain splint, “The blend of teeth colors was excellent.”

4. More Savings, Less Stress

With just LC Monoshade and LC Opaquer, it’s easy to achieve life-like esthetics in virtually any case. This eliminates the time doctors typically spend on shade matching and means no more digging through composite inventory mid-procedure in search of the right product. Moreover, the convenience of a 1-shade-matches-all composite lets clinicians maximize inventory space and keep material costs to a minimum. And because LC Monoshade boasts a radiopacity of approximately 200%, restorations can readily be identified on radiographs for fast, accurate diagnosis.

Altogether, these benefits make for a streamlined, stress-free restorative workflow. As Shalom Mehler, DMD, of Teaneck, NJ said, with Patterson LC Monoshade, “It doesn’t get any better than this for a GP!”