Earning Patients’ Trust With Dependable Restorations
Dentsply Sirona’s Prime&Bond active® provides another layer of reliability
Nichole Lubberts, DDS
Many dentists cite their hometown dental practices as having inspired their career paths, but few actually get the opportunity to purchase these specific practices. Ten years ago, Nichole Lubberts, DDS, got that chance and capitalized on it. "My dentist's patients just loved him. He knew everything about them and their families, and everyone felt comfortable," Lubberts says of Northview Family Dentistry, a solo general practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "I loved that atmosphere, so I believed that I could be happy working there. I always strived to create that hometown feeling, and that is exactly what our office has maintained. It has been wonderful."
Nonetheless, Lubberts has added her own touches to the practice, including incorporating various modern technologies and treatments, such as lasers and Botox® Cosmetic. "We try to combine hometown dentistry with the cutting edge of technology," she says. "We stay up to date on the latest and greatest products in dentistry to provide the best care to our patients with the least amount of pain, discomfort, and anxiety." Indeed, the satisfaction of Lubberts' patients remains at the core of everything she does. "Because we have such close relationships with our patients, providing gentle care to the whole family is our philosophy. They are not just numbers to us," she says.
In light of those relationships, reliability is one of the most important qualities of any product that Lubberts utilizes—especially adhesives. "When you know your patients and their families well, the last thing that you want to do is provide dentistry that quickly fails on them," she says. Lubberts has found the reliability she requires in the Prime&Bond line from Dentsply Sirona, which includes the new Prime&Bond active®. Versatile enough to be used for all indications and with all etching methods, Prime&Bond active provides reliable performance on overly wet and overdried dentin with its patented Active-Guard Technology. It results in virtually no postoperative sensitivity, and its low film thickness reduces the risk of pooling and the misfitting of restorations. Prime&Bond active remains usable for 30 minutes in a closed CliXdish™ Mixing Well, which provides a relaxed working time and reduces waste, and its patented formulation is free of HEMA, TGDMA, and bisphenol. For the placement of indirect restorations, it achieves a high initial bond strength when used with the company's Calibra® Ceram Adhesive Resin Cement.
Lubberts had been using Prime&Bond elect® for several years and grew to trust it, so she was intrigued when she saw a video produced by Dentsply Sirona that demonstrated how different adhesives reacted with drops of water on a table. "They scrubbed each drop with a microbrush, and because most of the adhesives were hydrophobic, they did not mix at all. They were like oil and water," she says. "However, Prime&Bond active just blended with the water and became one solid color. That means that if a little bit of moisture is left on a tooth, its surface tension will not affect the bond strength. The adhesive will still get into the tubules evenly, and there will not be voids because the water molecules will not stop the material from penetrating." Lubberts decided to recreate the droplet test in her own office so that she could see for herself, and the results were the same. She tried some different experiments as well, including air drying and light curing. "Prime&Bond active was rock-solid," she says. "All of the other adhesives that I tried exhibited a sticky quality."
The unique chemistry of Prime&Bond active contributes to its reliability. Lubberts notes that, although clinicians should always strive to avoid moisture, nobody is perfect. "When working in a proximal box, you cannot always get a great visual of all of your undercuts," she says. "In the event that you accidentally leave some rinsing water, Prime&Bond active helps ensure that you can still achieve a reliable bond."
Adding that element to an already reliable product only increases Lubberts' confidence about providing the best possible care to her patients. "I have always liked the low film thickness and versatility of the Prime&Bond line," she says. "You can use Prime&Bond active to bond indirect restorations or with traditional direct resins, and it works every time. It is tried and true."
According to Lubberts, the ability to use Prime&Bond active for all indications and with all etching methods allows her to streamline her workflow and decrease inventory. "Dentists often have a lot of clutter in their operatories," she says. "We do not want to have different adhesives and cements for every procedure. Having one adhesive that always works, reliably, for a multitude of applications simplifies things and cuts down on waste." Lubberts credits Dentsply Sirona with recognizing that and developing a quality solution. "You can tell that they actually care about more than just that their product is first to market, and they do things that make sense, make clinicians' lives easier, and benefit patients," she says.
That type of support from a manufacturer helps Lubberts practice the type of dentistry that she envisioned when she first decided to pursue this career—the type of dentistry inspired by her childhood dentist and his place in the community. "I really want to put my best foot forward with every restoration," Lubberts says, "so that patients feel confident that when they come to see me, they are not getting shabby dentistry from a large corporate dental practice; they are getting the best dentistry from me because I care about them, I care about their families, and I want them to be happy when they leave my office."
Key Points
• Provides versatility for use for all indications and with all etching methods.
• Delivers reliable performance, even on overly wet and overdried dentin.
• Results in virtually no postoperative sensitivity.
• Demonstrates low film thickness for a reduced risk of pooling and misfitting of restorations.
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION
DENTSPLY SIRONA
dentsplysirona.com • 844-848-0137
