Bisco's All-Bond Universal: the unsung hero of Restorative Products
When a typical day in your office is one restorative procedure after the next, a proper, dependable, and easy-to-use adhesive is crucial to success. Dental adhesive is the unsung hero among restorative products, and it’s easy to take it for granted. We’re now in the age of “universal” adhesives, and any product branded as such will be compatible with total-etch, self-etch, or selective-etch modes.
However, not all universal adhesives are created equal.
Knowing a bit about their history and evolution helps to understand why.
Dentists who began their careers in the 1970s or 1980s may recall a time when dental adhesives were neither universal nor highly effective.1 As chronicled by the dental adhesion experts at BISCO, previous generations had advantages and disadvantages. This paved the way for dental manufacturers to create more stable adhesives in the “universal” category to make bonding more reliable and easier.
READ BISCO’S E-BOOK: Universal Adhesives: A Brief Clinical Overview
The 1990s ushered in the fourth generation of dental adhesives that required a third-bottle activator for two layers in total-etch mode. By the year 2000, adhesive systems were simplified to two bottles and 1 layer for self-etch procedures.
Still, the question remained: was it possible to reduce the number of clinical steps needed while making the adhesive applicable to multiple etching methods?
BISCO led the way among manufacturers seeking to answer this question, and the company’s more than 30 years of research and development eventually led to the 2012 introduction of ALL-BOND UNIVERSAL, a “truly universal” light-cured dental adhesive that would prove to be a game-changer.
Does Your ‘Universal’ Adhesive Do This?
The basic definition of a universal adhesive is one that bonds to both tooth and metal substrates. Some dentists have the misconception that universal adhesives try to do too much, and efficacy is comprised. For some adhesives, unfortunately, that’s true. They might be more hydrophilic or require a second hydrophobic resin layer. They may be too acidic, meaning they require a separate self-cure activator in order to be compatible with dual-cure/self-cure restorative materials. Some contain silane, which research has shown is ineffective as a coupling agent in resin bonding,2 and others require mixing and come in blister packs or a two-bottle system.
With ALL-BOND UNIVERSAL, however, BISCO took the definition of “universal” literally—it’s a one-bottle system ideally formulated for all restorative needs.
It can be used in total-etch, selective-etch, and self-etch procedures, and its ultra-mild acidity (pH > 3) allows for universal compatibility with light-cured, dual-cured, and self-cured cements, composites, and build-ups, along with all substrates, direct or indirect. Moreover, it contains MDP monomers that, when light-cured, make bonding to zirconia and other metal substrates possible, and its hydrophobic, resin-friendly formula results in improved durability of the bond. The product’s overall ease of use is a benefit leading to virtually no postoperative sensitivity.
ALL-BOND UNIVERSAL’s 1-bottle simplicity and versatile performance scored high marks among independent Dental Product Shopper evaluators, who designated it a “Best Product.”
READ THE EVALUATION
Watch Dental Product Shopper’s Video Product Evaluation below to learn more about ALL-BOND UNIVERSAL from BISCO.
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25822403
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28969848