Ease of use and good treatment outcome are the hallmarks of these RelyX products.
In this Dental Product Shopper evaluation, we asked 14 dentists to evaluate two 3M products—RelyX Unicem 2 Automix Self-Adhesive Cement and the RelyX Fiber Post System. Each evaluator received a 4-week supply of the cement along with a variety of mix tips. They also received a RelyX Fiber Post System kit to use in conjunction with the cement.
According to 3M, RelyX Unicem Automix Cement delivers high adhesion, resistance to discoloration, long-term stability, and virtually no postoperative sensitivity. When used with the syringe delivery system, the manufacturer says dentists will experience easy handling and flexible dose dispensing.
The RelyX Fiber Posts, according to 3M, have a unique resin composition with equally dispersed parallel fibers that provide high mechanical strength. The light translucency of the post allows for efficient light cure depth into the root canal.
The evaluators were asked to rate the cement on such items as viscosity and delivery system; they rated the posts on ease of technique and post and drill size options.
Cement Viscosity
When asked to rate the consistency (viscosity) of RelyX Unicem 2 Automix Cement, 3 evaluators rated it as excellent, 9 rated it as very good, and 2 rated it as good. An evaluator from Raymond, NH who said she would definitely recommend the cement to her colleagues, described RelyX Unicem 2 Automix Cement as having “Great viscosity.” This evaluator went on to give the cement an overall satisfaction rating of excellent. Another evaluator, who had tried the cement in the past, said he found that it “flowed much better. I was pleasantly surprised.”
Delivery System
According to 3M, the Automix syringe is designed to save time during treatment, providing easy handling and flexible dispensing. A variety of mixing tips are available, including wide and regular, endo tips, and intraoral tips.
Eleven evaluators rated the convenience of the Automix syringe and variety of mix tips as excellent and 3 rated them as very good. Ten evaluators named the delivery system as the feature they liked best, citing ease of use, syringe tip options, and convenience. One evaluator said, “I love the different syringe tip options, especially the super thin long one for post spaces.” Another evaluator said, “The delivery system is great.”
RelyX Fiber Post
The technique for placing RelyX Fiber Posts is described by 3M as simple. When asked to rate the ease of technique, 6 rated it as excellent, 6 rated it as very good, and 2 rated it as good. One evaluator said, “I was very impressed with the fiber post system. The tapered post drill makes prep easy.” Another evaluator said, “The post system is great.”
RelyX Fiber Posts and drills are available in a variety of sizes (1.1 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.6 mm, and 1.9 mm in diameter). Five evaluators rated the post and drill size options as excellent, 7 rated them as very good, and 2 rated them as good.
Overall Satisfaction
When asked if they would recommend RelyX Unicem 2 Automix Cement and RelyX Fiber Posts to their colleagues or purchase them in the future, 12 said definitely or probably. When asked about their overall satisfaction rating, 6 evaluators rated overall satisfaction as excellent, 7 as very good, and 1 as good. An evaluator from Mitchellville, MD, said, “Because of the results I have gotten with this product, I have switched to using it.”
