BC Sealer ION+: A Strong Seal with a Bioactive Boost

Alex Fleury, DDS, MS, was inspired to become a dentist after suffering a traumatic dental injury as a teenager in his native Brazil. During treatment, he noticed how genuinely happy his dentist was to relieve his pain—a moment that stuck with him. Dr. Fleury became a dentist, and over 4 decades later, he is an endodontist in the Dallas, TX, area, where he spends his days getting his own patients out of pain.

Always a big fan of Brasseler’s bioceramic root canal sealer, Dr. Fleury was not expecting the company to offer a product that would prove to be significantly better. After all, the previous BC Sealer he used for over 16 years checked all the boxes when it came to delivering on the requirements for effective root canal sealing.

But sure enough, BC Sealer ION+, a premixed, ready-to-use root canal sealer, has raised the bar. The sealer—formerly known as BIO-C SEALER ION+ from Angelus—saves time for clinicians and brings the added benefit of bioceramic and biocompatible properties. Soon to be available from Brasseler, BC Sealer ION+ has a proven track record for success, as reported by clinicians around the globe.

“The conventional sealers we have from Brasseler are unbelievably great in all possible properties,” Dr. Fleury explained. “So, keeping the same benefits and ease of use and adding this enhanced bioactivity is what really makes this new product so special.”

Unique Bioactive Benefits

After reviewing the literature on the BC Sealer ION+ and performing several ex-vivo trials, he visited the manufacturing facility in Brazil. There, he met with chemists and doctors involved in the development of BC Sealer ION+ to learn more about the material’s unique bioactive benefits. Back in Texas, he continued using the product in his practice—eventually completing over 100 cases with the new sealer—which gave him a sound idea of how the material worked in his hands.

“In endodontics, we only know how good a product is after 5 or 6 years as far as long-term prognosis is concerned,” Dr. Fleury explained. “But the behavior of the material and how it works, you can learn that right away. BC Sealer ION+ exhibits similar clinical properties to Brasseler’s existing bioceramic sealers, and the physical benefits are exactly the same.”

The Big Difference

The new material, indicated for sealing root canals in permanent teeth, takes a big step forward, according to Dr. Fleury, because of the way in which it releases ions. “They replaced the material’s main crystal structure with Akermanite, which significantly enhances ion release,” he said. “It's what makes the material much more bioactive than conventional bioceramics.”

Thanks to the Akermanite crystal structure, BC Sealer ION+ allows for a slow, controlled release of magnesium and calcium ions—a process that takes place over the course of several weeks, according to Dr. Fleury.

“It will be releasing these ions for a month, as far as we know, or maybe even longer,” he said. “What these ions do is ward off bacteria and expedite/stimulate bone formation. When we think about root canal treatment, it makes perfect sense. This bioactivity is what really what sets it apart. It's phenomenal.”

BC Sealer ION+ also is more permeable, which enables magnesium ions to penetrate deeper into the dentin. This speeds up the healing process, Dr. Fleury explained. “The long-term release of these ions, mainly calcium and magnesium, by this Akermanite crystal structure is what makes this material more bioactive than anything we’ve had previously," he added.

Even Better Than Before?

As was the case with previous root canal sealers from Brasseler, BC Sealer ION+ is easy to use, effectively seals the canal, and sets in the presence of moisture.

Dr. Fleury says Brasseler’s conventional bioceramic sealer checked all the boxes listed by endodontic pioneer Dr. Louis Grossman decades ago when it comes to ideal root canal sealer properties. But this latest product has even more to offer.

“These required items are fulfilled by the bioceramic sealer that we had before. This new product adds a property that was not even in the list—stimulating bone formation—which will enhance the healing potential tremendously. This is big.”

Waste Not, Want Not

Dr. Fleury also expects Brasseler’s new minimum waste delivery tips to deliver yet another plus for BC Sealer ION+. “The tips that are coming are much more flexible with better reach,” he said.

The delivery is so easy, in fact, that general practitioners can learn to use the product quickly and easily. “There's no mixing of anything—it just comes out of the syringe into the canal,” he advised. “In dentistry, many products are complicated or expensive. This is not going to more expensive, it’s not more complicated, and biologically, it’s just better.”