One True Match for Every Patient

Highlights from our discussion on OMNICHROMA® with Brian Gray, DDS

A composite that matches every patient's teeth with only one shade sounds too good to be true. "How many times during the past 4 decades have I heard companies say that they have a composite that does everything?" questions Brian Gray, DDS. "When Tokuyama stepped up with OMNICHROMA^®, of course I was skeptical, but I gladly took a look at it, and it delivered on the company's promises."

OMNICHROMA is a universal composite with uniformly sized supra-nano spherical fillers that allow it to match every one of the 16 VITA classical shades through a process that the company calls "Smart Chromatic Technology." This wide color-matching ability eliminates the need for a shade-taking procedure, reduces composite inventory, and saves time and money for doctors.

Gray, who maintains a practice in Wash-ington, DC, and is also an instructor at the Pankey Institute, shared his experiences with OMNICHROMA in a recent discussion with Inside Dentistry's Product Talk. "If you open a drawer in any dental office, you're probably going to find about 40 different shades of composite from different companies," Gray explains. "You buy a box with 20 capsules in it, but you might only use one before they expire, which is discouraging. It's great to have one composite that's going to last, and we can use up a complete syringe before it goes bad. I took a leap of faith in believing that one composite would be able to match the 16 different shades of the VITA shade guide. But this is a complete reset."

Most teeth exhibit multiple shades, which requires shade matching expertise, and the shades that teeth exhibit do not remain constant. OMNICHROMA not only blends well initially, but also continues to match the shade as it changes over time. "That's been one of the banes of dentistry," Gray admits. "After we place a composite, we have no control over the patient's at-home use of whitening. You might match the tooth at the time of placement, but 6 months later, the patient comes back, and it no longer works. That's very frustrating. So, it's great that we now have something that will change with the tooth color over time."

For highly cosmetic cases where esthetic value is extremely important, dentists usually need to select a number of different composite shades to achieve their esthetic goals. "That process can be painful," says Gray. "But thankfully, I now have a material that will match the upper right corner and the lower left corner of a tooth without having to place 4 or 5 different shades and layer on top of it."

Clinicians do not have to compromise on any physical characteristics to get this shade matching ability. OMNICHROMA is an excellent all-around composite that demonstrates great handling, polishability, and strength. Initially, Gray used the material for Class I restorations but later found that one of his favorite indications for OMNICHROMA was as a Class V restorative material.

The science behind OMNICHROMA leverages a phenomenon called structural coloration, which refers to the way that light reacts with the material and the surrounding tooth structure. This effect is achieved via the composite's remarkably consistent 260-nm spheres that facilitate its many unique features. Gray concludes, "In the practice, OMNICHROMA behaves differently than all other composites because structurally, it actually is different from all other composites."

Brian Gray, DDS, is a master of the Acad-emy of General Dentistry and a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, the Academy of Dentistry International, and the International College of Dentists. He maintains a private practice in Washington, DC.

Notable Features

Unprecedented shade-matching ability: a universal composite that matches every tooth shade with a single shade of material
Reduction of composite inventory: eliminates the need to keep a large stock of composites in different shades
Minimized chairtime: less time spent on shade-matching procedures
Reduction of expired composite: unlike less-used composite shades, it can be used so often that it won't have a chance to expire
Exceptional esthetic and mechan-ical properties: excellent handling, polishability, and strength

To hear more from Gray about the benefits of using OMNICHROMA, watch the entire Product Talk discussion online at: www.insidedentistry.net/go/product-talk-s2-e3

For more information, contact:
Tokuyama Dental America
tokuyama-us.com
760-942-7211