Kuraray: Innovating for Dentistry, and Humanity
Tracing its roots back centuries, the multinational company brings vast product development and manufacturing expertise to dentistry
The first Kuraray Co. Ltd. was established in 1926 in Kurashiki, Japan. Initially the company specialized in the industrial production of synthetic rayon, and, after years of research and development, Kuraray Co. Ltd. became an expert in the fi elds of polymer chemistry, synthetic chemistry, and chemical engineering.
Over the years, Kuraray developed many high-quality, innovative products such as synthetic resins, fi ne chemicals, nonwoven fabrics, man-made leather, and medical products. This includes many groundbreaking products, including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber KURALON and later, the world’s first dentin bonding agent, CLEARFIL Bond System F, which marked the birth of adhesive dentistry.
The second company, Noritake, has a unique and slightly older history. Out of Japanese merchant Ichizaemon Morimura’s desire to bring Japan into the fold of global trade, a trading fi rm called Morimura Gumi was established in 1876. Soon, Morimura and his brother, Toyo, set their sights on New York, where they established an imported goods store, Morimura Brothers.
While this trading company initially imported chinaware, curios, paper lanterns, and other gift items, it eventually expanded into Noritake Co. Ltd., a multidimensional business entity that supplied high-caliber products and technologies to a wide range of industries.
Two Become One Powerhouse
In April 2012, Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. was born when Kuraray Medical Inc. and Noritake Dental Supply Co., Ltd. joined forces. Vast expertise in development and production, as well as organic and inorganic chemistry, made the merger of these multinational companies a “powerhouse” in the global market.
Today, Kuraray Noritake Dental leverages a collective 200+ years of experience to develop and deliver highend products for both chairside and laboratory dentistry. The company is committed to constant innovation, research, and development and continues its mission to transform cutting-edge technology into real-world solutions that benefit all of humanity.
CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2
Universal For an easier way to create esthetic posterior restorations, look no further than CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 Universal. This composite material offers a 1-shade solution for all common restorations in the posterior region, independent of the color of underlying and adjacent tooth structure.
Thanks to the material’s specific level of translucency and the integration of Kuraray’s Light Diffusion Technology (LDT), restorations created with CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 Universal diffuse light in a way that mimics natural tooth structure. The result is a wide blending effect that renders margins invisible and ensures seamless integration with surrounding tooth structure, without the need for an opaquer or blocker.
“By eliminating all etching and bonding steps, [PANAVIA SA Cement Universal] saves time and makes cementing easier."
- Michael Teitelbaum, DMD
For a simplified explanation of how CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 Universal works, consider this:
• One shade for all posterior restorations: A single universal shade is all that’s needed for common posterior restorations, regardless of the color of the underlying and adjacent tooth structure.
• No opaquer or blocker: Due to the material’s Light Diffusion Technology and specific level of translucency, it integrates easily into surrounding tooth structure and makes prep designs virtually invisible.
When a group of dentists evaluated CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 Universal for Dental Product Shopper, they granted it a Best Product rating after reviewing and rating several criteria critical to patient satisfaction, clinician ease of use, and efficiency, including:
• Ease of dispensing and placement
• Nonsticky handling
• Ability to maneuver and sculpt material
• Time savings due to simplified shade selection and no need for blocker
• Polishability and glossiness
• Wide shade-matching ability (1 shade to match all shades)
Here are some comments from those evaluators:
• “Since it offers a single-shade option, it cuts back on inventory and makes the procedure fast and easy.”
• “It helps increase productivity and patient comfort by decreasing chair time.”
• “Any product that simplifies the direct resin restorative protocol—no matter which portion of the technique is simplified—will find its inclusion in my armamentarium for these restorations.”
PANAVIA SA Cement Universal
With a powerful, single-step bonding formula that makes cementation easier, cleaner, and more versatile than ever, PANAVIA SA Cement Universal is a self-adhesive resin cement containing LCSi monomer. This unique silane coupling agent allows adhesion to virtually every material—including glass ceramics, porcelain, lithium disilicate, and composite resin—without the need for a separate primer. It also contains the original MDP monomer, which enables a strong chemical bond with zirconia, dentin, and enamel.
Like its predecessor, PANAVIA SA Cement Plus, PANAVIA SA Cement Universal can be used in a wide range of indications including crowns and bridges, inlays, onlays, posts, as well as adhesion bridges. Excess removal of cement is easy and tissue-
friendly, and the product conveniently comes in automix and handmix options.
When DPS evaluated PANAVIA SA Cement Universal, clinicians praised the material’s ease of application, workfl ow effi ciency, adhesion to various types of restorations, versatility to bond to almost any material, and ease of cleanup. “It offers good adhesion, is easy to clean up, and no added steps are needed,” said Adriana Rodriguez, DMD. “It gives you a lot of bang for your buck.”
Every dentist who participated in the evaluation said they would recommend PANAVIA SA Cement Universal to other dentists. “By eliminating all etching and bonding steps, this self-etching cement saves time and makes cementing easier,” said Michael Teitelbaum, DMD.
KATANA Zirconia
Kuraray’s revolutionary zirconia portfolio features 3 groundbreaking multilayered product classes— KATANA Zirconia UTML, STML, and HTML—as well as monolithic hightranslucent and low-translucent zirconia discs, KATANA Zirconia HT/ LT. Each of these is made from a proprietary powder and in-house processing formulation that imbues them with capabilities exceeding those of competitive materials.The end product of KATANA Zirconia’s unique chemistry is a superior restoration with
enamel-like translucency that provides predictable, esthetic results for dental professionals and their patients. KATANA Cleaner Contamination by proteins during a trial fitting poses a challenge because they can compromise the bond strength of a restoration. Kuraray’s KATANA Cleaner helps clinicians avoid this common problem thanks to a high cleaning effect enabled by the surface-active characteristic of MDP Salt.
Unlike other leading products, KATANA Cleaner has a mild pH of 4.5, which allows it to be used both extra- and intraorally as an all-purpose universal cleaner on tooth structure and prosthetics alike.
PANAVIA V5
Designed to cement all prosthetic indications both chairside and in the lab, PANAVIA V5 offers dental professionals a reliable and efficient way to cement crowns, single-wing cantilever bridges, and veneers, as well as implant abutments. When J. Jerald Boseman, DDS, participated in a DPS review of PANAVIA V5, he said, “I loved being able to cement a metal post-and-core and ceramic crown all at the same time with the same product.”
PANAVIA V5 comes in 5 lifelike shades and features a simple workflow that includes 1 tooth primer, 1 prosthetic primer, and an all-new K-ETCHANT syringe that lets clinicians etch with full control and greater precision. In addition to providing high bond strength and reliably sealing with ease, PANAVIA V5 makes excess cleanup easy and releases fluoride to support better dental health. DPS evaluator Steve Taborda, DMD, said PANAVIA V5 has “great working time, simple steps, and is amazingly easy to clean up.”
According to Kuraray, PANAVIA V5 is the strongest and most esthetic dentin cement the company has ever developed. And the DPS
evaluators seem to agree, rating both initial bond strength and esthetics 4.6 out of 5. Hoping to find “a universal cement that works with all the newest ceramics,” Dr. J. Michael Heider was pleased with PANAVIA V5 and said, “So far the retention has been good with excellent handling properties.” As far as versatility, Dr. Taborda commented, “I was able to use it for anterior and posterior situations with veneers and crowns.”
CLEARFIL Universal Bond Quick 
A single-bottle, fluoride-releasing, universal adhesive, CLEARFIL Universal Bond Quick combines Kuraray’s MDP monomer with new AMIDEbased chemistry to deliver unique “rapid bond technology.” The adhesive’s AMIDE monomer allows rapid permeation of dentin and enamel, eliminating waiting time and dramatically reducing water absorption. This composition also helps minimize technique sensitivity and application time without compromising bond strength, sealing, or desensitizing capability.
Indicated for use with all etching techniques and light-, self-, or dual-cure materials, CLEARFIL Universal Bond Quick offers excellent versatility. It can directly bond to dentin, enamel, metals, zirconia, as well as lithium disilicate restorative materials.
When a team of dentists evaluated CLEARFIL Universal Bond Quick for Dental Product Shopper, they rated a variety of criteria, including ease of application and handling, working time, overall length and speed of procedure, initial bond strength, versatility, and postoperative sensitivity. No item on the list received a score of lower than 4.6 out of 5.
Here’s what some of the evaluators had to say:
• “ Quick, efficient bonding in a single step.” • “ It is a versatile, easy-touse product with excellent outcomes.”
• “ Patients exhibited little to no postop sensitivity.”
• “ Provided an easy-to-use, predictable solution”
• “ An overall favorable and positive experience for both myself and my patients.”
• “ My patients said their restorations were very comfortable, zero postop sensitivity.”
• “ Predictable, reliable, and repeatable results.”
CLEARFIL AP-X
Suited for both anterior and posterior restorations, CLEARFIL AP-X is a light-cure, radiopaque restorative resin that delivers accurate color matching, high polishability, and excellent physical properties. Due to its optimal viscosity, the material allows easy handling and placement without sticking to instruments. Likewise, restorations created with CLEARFIL AP-X feature high strength and durability.
CLEARFIL AP-X is ideal for repairing Class I, II, and V cavities of posterior teeth; Class III, IV, and V cavities of anterior teeth; as well as cervical cavities (wedge-shaped defects) involving root surfaces.
"The company is committed to constant innovation, research, and development, and continues its mission to transform cuttingedge technology into real-world solutions that benefit all of humanity. "
All in the CLEARFIL Family
Jorge Zapata, DDS, understands the importance of using materials that are designed to work well together. He recently treated a 30-year-old patient who presented with extreme cold sensitivity associated with teeth Nos. 12 and 13. After thermal testing was conducted (the results were normal), Dr. Zapata made a diagnosis of reversible pulpitis. Then, in collaboration with the patient, hedecided to place a direct restoration using CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES-2 Universal.
In addition, he chose to use 2 other Kuraray products—CLEARFIL SE Protect adhesive bonding agent and CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES Flow universal flowable composite—because he knows they are designed to work well together in just such a case and would help him achieve the best outcome for the patient.
Here are the initial procedure steps he took to prepare for the restoration:
• Isolate teeth Nos. 11 to 14
• Administer local anesthesia at teeth Nos. 12 and 13
• Prep teeth using flame diamond burs
• Etch for 10 seconds, then rinse and dry.
Next, to ensure he successfully treated the patient’s sensitivity, Dr. Zapata implemented 2 techniques specifically designed to do just that.
First, he applied CLEARFIL SE Protect to the prepared teeth using the immediate dentin-sealing technique, which is a progressive protocol that protects the pulp, addresses sensitivity, and helps establish a strong bond to enamel.
Next, Dr. Zapata applied CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES Flow using the resin-coating technique, which minimizes pulp irritation and improves bond strength.
Dr. Zapata reported that his patient was pleased with the final restorative result, and she was relieved that her cold sensitivity resolved. Using Kuraray’s family of CLEARFIL products allowed Dr. Zapata and his team to deliver this case efficiently and to provide the patient with an excellent outcome.
