The Key to Successful Impressions… and Beyond
Backed by extensive research and innovation, Kettenbach’s DPS Best Products provide dental teams with simplicity and a strong sense of security
For over 70 years, the team at Kettenbach has looked to the future of dentistry when developing products that support the profession. The company has built a reputation for reliability, affordability, and excellent customer service. “They’re focused on what they do best,” said David Mastrota, DMD, who has a practice in Wilmington, DE. “The company and their sales reps are knowledgeable, and they put a great deal of research behind their products.”
The full range of products offered by Kettenbach— impression materials, restorative materials, and supplementary products—provides dentists with consistency and efficiency. Five reviewed by Dental Product Shopper evaluators—Panasil, Futar, Visalys CemCore, Visalys Temp, and Silginat—received Best Product ratings.
Panasil
First introduced in 1982, Kettenbach’s Panasil family of A-silicone-based impression materials promises both precision and predictability. Available in low, medium, and high viscosities, Panasil materials are formulated for all impression techniques and indications. To enhance accuracy, they can be paired with 3 wash materials, which are available in light, x-light, and regular viscosities.
Dr. Mastrota primarily uses Panasil tray Heavy. “I do a lot of digital scanning now, but when I want to take a conventional impression for implants and crown and bridge work, I use Panasil.” His colleagues—and the material’s low cost—first prompted him to try Panasil, but it’s the material’s features that keep him using it. “It has a fast set and patients like the taste,” he explained. “It also offers good accuracy…I rarely have to do remakes.”
Futar
Final restorations benefit from impressions that accurately depict a patient’s unique occlusion. The best way to capture that occlusion is via a three-dimensional bite registration. Futar, Kettenbach’s A-silicone-based line of bite registration materials, is a go-to choice for many dental practices. All versions of the injectable elastomeric, nonslumping material capture precise impressions. Depending on the situation, Futar provides slow (4.5 minutes), normal (1–1/2 minute), and fast (45 second) set times as well as 2 hardness levels.
Dr. Mastrota was looking for something stable and predictable when his Kettenbach representative pointed him in the direction of Futar. “It’s fast and rigid, but not too rigid,” he said. “It works really well for facebow transfers because it’s hard and not flexible, but it cuts easily.” He also pointed out that his lab likes what he’s able to provide with the material.
“The company and their sales reps are knowledgeable, and they put a great deal of research behind their products.”
—David Mastrota, DMD
Silginat
Kettenbach’s newest DPS Best Product is Silginat, an elastomeric A-silicone VPS impression material developed specifi cally for alginate applications. Its medium viscosity creates precise impressions that can be stored for weeks and poured multiple times. DPS evaluators were particularly impressed with how easy it was to dispense Silginat into the impression tray, as well as the final hardness of the set material and overall impression detail.
“The impressions were poured up multiple times over the course of a few days and the accuracy was consistent,” noted Dr. Rita Sabaitis. “My patients responded positively to the comfort and taste.”
Visalys CemCore
The number of products and materials dental practices must keep track of is time-consuming and space-challenging, so when one product can do the work of two, dentists take notice. Visalys CemCore offers a glimpse of its capabilities in its name: It can cement restorations and fabricate core buildups. “I like that it’s a 2-in-1 product,” said Dr. Mastrota. “It’s nice to be able to do it all in one set motion.”
Formulated with Active Connect Technology—a phase transfer catalyst— Visalys CemCore provides enhanced adhesive bonding. In addition, it contains special network formers that ensure both stability and flowability. Visalys Temp Is there such a thing as a long-term temporary crown and bridge material with infrequent breakage? There is for a team of clinicians who took part in the DPS product review of Visalys Temp. The multifunctional acrylic composite produces exceptionally stable, fracture-resistant temporary crowns, partial crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and veneers, and thanks to its high strength and elastic modulus, it holds up for 4 weeks. “I definitely noticed fewer fractured provisionals and recements toward the end of the 4- to 5-week period,” shared Karen Guo, DMD, adding that the material allowed her to create particularly impressive anterior provisionals. "Having a dependable provisional material improves quality of care and increases patient confidence in your ability to deliver exceptional dentistry," she added.
Deceptive Simplicity
Kettenbach has mastered creating materials that, while simple to use and integrate into a practice, are built on extensive research and innovation. Ideally, that’s what every dental material should provide: simplicity backed by science.
