Kettenbach: Simply Intelligent
A history of innovative product development and total quality management results in practical chairside solutions
The maxim “Made in Germany” has been inspiring Kettenbach Dental since it was first founded in 1944 by August Kettenbach in Wissenbach, Germany. While Europe was facing the grim realities of World War II, Kettenbach strove to become internationally known as a family business meeting the highest standards of medical and dental suppliers. And for more than 75 years, its sophisticated products have boasted outstanding quality that has made the company a standout when it comes to complete dental solution systems.
Today, in addition to classic silicone impression materials, Kettenbach also offers materials for bite registration and a wide range of supplementary products, such as mix systems, resin adhesives, disinfectants (not available in U.S.), and casts (not available in U.S.). The full catalog of materials takes into account every step in the impression process with the goal of delivering the most accurate results.
From the start, the company’s in-house research and development department has consistently promoted the steady optimization of its expanding product portfolio. In fact, production still takes place in the German facility where Kettenbach got its start.
Thanks to the ongoing improvement of popular and newer solutions, Kettenbach has added many important products to its line, including Sugi, a versatile cellulose sponge material, which is used in ophthalmology, ENT, dental medicine, neurosurgery, diagnostics, wound therapy, and a wide variety of microsurgery interventions.
Other products, such as Panasil, Futar, and Identium have long been a part of day-to-day dentistry at practices worldwide. Product innovations in the restorative fi eld have been an important market for the family-run company, especially the Visalys line, which includes products designed for both temporary and permanent restorations. At Kettenbach, total quality management is not a marketing catch phrase, but rather part of the everyday practice.
Visalys Temp
Kettenbach’s multifunctional acrylic composite, Visalys Temp, can be used to create a variety of stable, fracture-resistant temporary restorations, including crowns, partial crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and veneers. To address long-term temporary needs (up to 4 weeks or even longer if needed) Visalys Temp was designed with several characteristics that increase durability, including high impact, flexural, and diametrical tensile strength, as well as elastic modulus. The temporary restorative material is available in 50-mL cartridges. Available in 6 popularly used shades (A1, A2, A3, A3.5, B1, and BL), Visalys Temp comes to a beautiful natural luster just with a cloth buff. In addition, Visalys Temp features a total working and curing time of 4 minutes. In a recent Dental Product Shopper review,dentists rated Visalys Temp on several criteria, including ease of dispensing, handling properties, working and setting times, ease of cleanup, and final esthetics. All criteria received a rating of 4.5 or higher (out of 5), resulting in a Best Product designation.
“It made the temporary crown process smoother and easier,” said Stephen Rosenberg, DMD. “I spent less time adjusting and finishing.” Beena Lad, DDS, noted that the “final polished result looked way better than what I had been using.”
Visalys CemCore
To reduce inventory and simplify material selection, many manufacturers are developing products and technologies that can be used for multiple indications. Visalys CemCore is one such solution. This dualcuring, adhesive cementation composite can be used with all indirect restorations and is compatible with all dental materials, such as metal, oxide ceramic, and silicate ceramic. The innovative Visalys CemCore formulation means the material is suitable for everything from conventional to challenging and highly esthetic restorations. It also can be used for core buildups.
Here’s what some Dental Product Shopper evaluators had to say when they tried Visalys CemCore in their practices:
• “This product lived up to its billing. I have decided to switch to it for good.”
• “Visalys CemCore is a reliable buildup material that is easy to use, easy to place, and cuts like dentin.”
• “The great cleanup at the gel stage was awesome! The ease of cleanup was a major timesaver.”
• “Visalys CemCore was easy to use, worked very well, and made the procedure simple and straightforward.”
Panasil Family
The Panasil line of A-silicone-based precision impression materials is formulated with hydrophilic properties, high tear strength, dimensional accuracy, and a strong resistance to permanent deformation. The 3 wash materials (in light, x-light, and medium viscosities) pair perfectly with the Panasil tray materials to ensure accurate impressions. Dr. R.J. Sondkar, who participated in a Dental Product Shopper review of the Panasil family of impression materials, was hoping the material would eliminate distortions and accurately register preparations.Panasil offered “clear, well-defined margins,” said Dr. Sondkar. “I achieved good quality impressions that met the criteria to send to the lab.”
All Panasil light-body and medium-body impression materials introduce high hydrophilicity on initial contact, the most critical period, with the prep surface even in the presence of moisture. In addition, the working time is sufficient for every indication. “The set times are great,” said Russell Duke, DMD, another DPS evaluator. “Panasil made me more confident in my impression-taking technique.”
The Panasil line of materials includes:
• Panasil Putty: Elastomeric impression material with excellent hydrophilic properties, dimensional accuracy, high tear strength, and resistance to permanent deformation. Available in 3 versions: putty, putty fast, and putty soft.
• Panasil Lab Putty: Kneadable, addition-curing overcast material with high final hardness based on vinyl polysiloxane. Ideal characteristics for overcast and bite index.
• Panasil Binetics Putty: First putty to be made in a jumbo 5:1 cartridge for exact dosage and reduced material usage.
• Panasil Tray: High viscosity material available in fast, soft, and soft-fast versions.
• Panasil Monophase Medium: Hydrophilic medium viscosity impression material ideal for taking transfer or endentulous impressions.
• Panasil Initial Contact Regular: Ideal for situations that require more rigidity, such as when performing implant transfers.
Identium Family
Kettenbach designed the innovative material class, Vinylsiloxanether, which combines the best of A silicone and polyether impression materials, to create Identium. This family of impression materials delivers on what dentists want most. It reliably captures preparation margins, flows perfectly even in moist environments, and can be removed easily.
The Vinylsiloxanether formulation imbues Identium with exceptional hydrophilicity and high flowability. In addition, it offers outstanding elastic recovery, has a neutral smell and taste, and has a very short setting time of only 2.5 minutes. All of these characteristics combine to ensure predictable accuracy and patient satisfaction.
Identium, which is indicated for taking impressions for inlays, crowns, implants, and prostheses, is available in 3 consistencies—heavy, medium, and light body—and in normal- and fast-setting options for monophasic and double-mix impressions.
Identium Heavy: This high-viscosity tray material offers high final hardness. It’s suitable for the double mix technique (in combination with low-viscosity Identium Light) for removable denture and implant impressions. Identium Heavy is available for Kettenbach’s Sympress or automixers.
Identium Medium: This medium-viscosity, syringeable impression material has a high fi nal hardness. It’s indicated for implant and fi xation impressions; impressions for fabricating crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and veneers; and for functional impressions. Identium Medium is available for Kettenbach’s Sympress system or automixer.
Identium Light: This low-viscosity, syringeable impression material is ideal for the double mix technique (in combination with high-viscosity Identium) for crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and veneers, as well as impressions for removable dentures and relines.Identium Light is available in a 1:1 cartridge system in regular-set and fast-set versions.
Futar
The Futar family of 6 injectable elastomeric bite registration materials is ideal for capturing precise impressions of a patient’s occlusion. All of the nonslumping materials are A silicones with high final hardness and enhanced patient comfort. They’re available in slow, normal, and fast set times.
• Futar Slow: 4.5-minute set time
• Futar Normal: 1-minute 30-second intraoral set time
• Futar Fast: 45-second intraoral set time
Silginat
Silginatis an alginate alternative mediumbodied viscosity VPS impression material formulated for alginate applications, such as anatomical impressions. The material’s low tear resistance helps to prevent inadvertent dislodging of restorations or orthodontics. In addition, Silginat’s high dimensional stability allows model impressions to be stored for weeks and poured multiple times. The strawberry-scented material’s highly thixotropic formulation allows it to fl ow properly under pressure.
