Early Adopters: OMNICHROMA

EARLY ADOPTERS

OMNICHROMA

The culmination of 35 years of research and development, OMNICHROMA is a universal composite that offers one shade to match all patients. Through the use of Tokuyama Dental’s spherical fillers and Smart Chromatic Technology, OMNICHROMA is the first use of structural color in composite dentistry. Its structural color—made possible by the precise shape and size of the filler within the composite—combines with the reflected color of the surrounding tooth to create the ideal match for almost every patient.

Shade matching can be a tedious and timeconsuming process, which is why the new OMNICHROMA from Tokuyama Dental is expected to be a game changer. Dr. Randy Halihan, who has been pleased with the Tokuyama Dental composites he’s used in his Illinois practice, was eager to try the new single-shade product. He began using it to restore simple CLVs in maxillary premolars before working his way anteriorly to the incisors. The results, he said, were surprising to the entire team.

“The dental assistants renamed OMNICHROMA the ‘magic composite’ and the ‘invisible composite,’ as it appeared to disappear after light curing,” Dr. Halihan said. “I quickly saw how beneficial this product could be with my patient cases.”

How It Works
While most composites depend on chemical color from dyes and pigments to match the most common shades in teeth, OMNICHROMA can transform into an A1, D4, or any other shade of tooth thanks to its use of structural color in a process Tokuyama Dental has dubbed “Smart Chromatic Technology.” As light passes through the fi llers, they refl ect the red-to-yellow colors found in all teeth. These colors then combine with the color of the surrounding teeth, allowing for unprecedented color-matching ability.

“To produce a one-shade composite system capable of matching all tooth shades,” said Dr. Halihan, “is extremely forward thinking, and will benefit the end product and ultimately an overall satisfied patient.” Beyond Shade Matching OMNICHROMA is designed to offer exceptional handling, polishability, and strength, and Dr. Halihan noted that he found the material to be dependable for its compressive strength, among other benefits. “Its high polishability and high stain resistance make it a perfect solution for any composite restoration in the smile zone,” he added.

OMNICHROMA can decrease the need for practices to keep a large inventory of composite shades, allowing them to save on the expense and space needed to stock other composite shades.

Simplifying Procedures
Dr. Halihan has put the composite to great use on a number of patients who recently presented with minor trauma to their anterior teeth from sports-related injuries. “It has been a reliable constant to treat almost every case universally without reaching for the shade guide or the spectrophotometer,” he said, adding that the material has saved time for him and the patients while producing esthetic outcomes.

Dr. Halihan is looking forward to treating more patients with OMNICHROMA and believes his peers will soon share that sentiment. “I think as this product hits dental offices this year, patients will be ecstatic with the results of their OMNICHROMA restorations,” he said. “Even the most particular patients should be fully satisfied and confident to show off their smiles.”