BEAUTIFIL Composites

Todd Snyder, DDS, AAACD

I take care of my patients like they are my family. I treat one patient at a time, spending an hour on initial examinations and a half hour on periodic examinations. We are not on any insurance plan. In southern California, next to the ocean, the market is very competitive, but we have chosen not to join in the competition to offer the lowest price. Our goal is to offer the best treatment possible, and to help achieve this, we prioritize using top-of-the-line products, such as Shofu Dental Corporation’s BEAUTIFIL composites.

Seemingly every company has a composite on the market today, and although most of the nanohybrids are doing well, each one has unique nuances. Shofu has developed a niche with its proprietary surface pre-reacted glass (S-PRG) filler, which allows a composite to release fluoride into the tooth structure and surrounding area to fight off bacteria. It is really fabulous. An 8-year study of Shofu’s BEAUTIFIL® II, an S-PRG-filled composite, demonstrated that it creates a film that inhibits plaque formation around restorations and also that it can be recharged by fluoride.¹

The esthetic blend of BEAUTIFIL resins produce color characteristics that are very similar to natural tooth structure, and it polishes extremely well. The flowable BEAUTIFIL products are particularly phenomenal for appearance. Most composites do not have a really good feel, but these do, making flowable a unique category of products.

Shofu’s BEAUTIFIL products also offer beneficial handling characteristics via various flow properties because they are available in different viscosities. This is great because none of us practice the same way; variability with the same technology is very helpful.

The new BEAUTIFIL® II LS (Low Shrink) has been a welcome addition to the product line. Its 0.85% volumetric shrinkage and 2.72-MPa shrinkage stress are the lowest on the market, and the difference is noticeable. Sensitivity can be an issue for some dentists. One of the problems with resin is that enzymes in the tooth start to break it down in as little as 6 months, so some degree of microleakage will always occur. Why not use a product with the least amount of shrinkage possible and built-in properties to fight off that bacteria and that leakage? Undoubtedly, other companies are pursuing lower shrinkage stress levels, but Shofu is at the front of the pack.

Shofu stays on the cutting edge with its entire product line. The company wants to stay ahead of its competition and is doing a fabulous job. It continues to raise the bar with materials and assistance to private practitioners.

Reference

1. Shofu’s Giomer Products Open Doors for Clinicians. Compend Contin Educ Dent. 2011;32(1):94.

For more information, contact:
Shofu Dental Corporation
800-827-4638
shofu.com

Todd Snyder, DDS, AAACD, maintains a private practice in Laguna Niguel, California, specializing in cosmetic dentistry.