Estelite Sigma Quick is new and improved, with longer working time, shorter curing time, and more shades than the original formulation.
Building on the exceptional polishability, gloss retention, wear resistance, and shade matching of its Estelite Sigma light-cured, universal resin composite, Tokuyama America now offers Estelite Sigma Quick. The new formulation provides extendedworking time (90 seconds), reduced curing time (by one-third), and 3 additional shades (20 shades total).
The 100% spherically filled composite (filler weight of 82%, volume, 71%) comes in a 3.8 g Quick Syringe or in 0.2 g preloaded tips (PLTs).
Eleven of the 14 dentists who evaluated Estelite Sigma Quick for this issue of Dental Product Shopper also participated in the April 2009 evaluation of the original formulation.
LongerWorking Time, Decreased Curing Time Tokuyama states that its patented radical amplified photopolymerization (RAP) technology reduces curing time and extends working time. The longer working time was rated as excellent by 5 evaluators and as very good to good by 8. Remarks from previous Estelite evaluators included “didn't notice it curing from overhead light exposure” and “useful when trying to get correct shaping and anatomy.” A first-time Estelite evaluator “didn’t have any problems with setting up before it was fully sculpted.”
Decreased curing time was rated as excellent by 6 evaluators, as very good by 5, and as good by 2. Two dentists called it “a big plus” and “a great feature since I use a light to set up composite and this allowed me to take less time for procedures.”
Ease of Use
Estelite Sigma Quick’s ease of use was rated as excellent by 5 evaluators, as very good by 7, and as good by 1. Six evaluators rated handling as excellent, 6 rated it as very good, and 1 rated it as good. A dentist who evaluated the PLT delivery system said the tip’s diameter “is a bit large and can make it easy to place too much in a smaller prep.” Another PLT user found it “very easy to use and very manageable.” Of the 3 dentists who noted that it doesn’t stick to instruments, 1 said, “I had to get used to that because it would fall off my instruments.”
Five evaluators rated sculptability as excellent, 7 rated it as very good, and 1 rated it as good. A dentist in practice for 2 years “would prefer it to be slightly stiffer,” and an evaluator with 27 years of experience said it “sculpted well in areas where I was trying to match the adjacent anatomy.” One evaluator said it had “enough body to allow easy placement, sculpting, and margin adaptation” and another said it “stays where you put it and is easy to sculpt.”
Esthetics
Esthetics was rated as excellent by 6 evaluators, as very good by 6, and as good by 1. One evaluator said, “Patients thought the results were amazing.” Another dentist said the chameleon effect, rated as excellent by 7 evaluators and as very good by 6, “is where Estelite really stands out.”
Polishability was rated as excellent by 6 evaluators and as very good by 7. Comments ranged from “seems like others I use are a little easier to polish” to “the quickest and easiest polish I’ve ever seen.”
Estelite Sigma Quick’s 3 additional shades—A5 (opaque), OPA2 (opaque), and WE (white enamel bleach shade) were rated as excellent by 7 evaluators, as very good by 2, and as good by 4. One previous Estelite evaluator said “WE is a nice addition and A5 was great for very dark teeth.” A first-time Estelite evaluator “liked the shades but wasn’t real excited with the opaque,” another “easily selected a shade that matched the surrounding structure.”
Overall Satisfaction
Overall satisfaction with Estelite Sigma Quick was rated as excellent by 3 evaluators, as very good by 9, and as good by 1. One evaluator said, “I've evaluated many products and been somewhat happy with them, but this one was noticeably better than other similar products.”
