OMNICHROMA from Tokuyama Dental

This case report will highlight OMNICHROMA, the new, one-shade universal composite from Tokuyama Dental that matches every tooth — from A1 to D4 and beyond — with a single composite shade. This is a game-changing restorative material that makes it possible to use one composite for the majority of anterior and posterior direct-composite cases. OMNICHROMA picks up the color of the surrounding tooth structure over all 16 VITA shades, so it blends right in. The system also offers Tokuyama Dental’s OMNICHROMA BLOCKER, a supplementary material used to prevent shade-matching interference that arises in certain cases due to discoloration, or in large class III or IV cases where there is minimal surrounding dentition. Combined with the use of Tokuyama Universal Bond, the system simplifies the practitioner’s technique by eliminating many of the steps where errors can occur that lead to sensitivity or restorations that demonstrate poor longevity.

The case seen in Figure 1 is an upper-right canine that has a failing Class V composite restoration. The old restorative material was removed using Danville’s PrepStart H₂O air abrasion unit so there was no need to anesthetize the patient (Figure 2), even while working in the cervical area of the tooth.

Tokuyama Universal Bond is a two-component, self-cured dental adhesive for both direct and indirect restorations. It can be used with the self-etch, total-etch or selective-etch bonding techniques. This case involved a total-etch application (Figure 3).

It is best to keep Tokuyama Universal Bond refrigerated and remove it 20 minutes before using to ensure the proper drop size. While holding the bottles as vertical as possible, one drop of each of the A and B components was dispensed into a disposable well and mixed. The bonding agent was applied to the tooth in one layer, and there was no need to rub it into the surface. The next step was to apply a light stream of air for 5 seconds to evaporate the solvent (which makes this bonding agent thicker), followed by a medium-strong stream of air for 5 more seconds to dry the resin (Figure 4). No light curing is required. The elimination of numerous steps and the fact light curing is not necessary makes the use of Tokuyama Universal Bond very predictable.

SMART CHROMATIC TECHNOLOGY

The single shade of OMNICHROMA, which utilizes Smart Chromatic Technology, was used for this Class V restoration. This material utilizes uniformly sized 260-nm spherical filler particles in the composite that generate the red-to-yellow color of the adjacent tooth structure, making this universal composite very chameleon-like. When first placed, the material will often appear opaque white, but, once cured, the color will match the surrounding tooth structure.          

The single-shade OMNICHROMA was placed into the preparation, and while it appears to have too high of a value before curing (Figure 5A), it is important to note that, once cured, the color will match due to the chameleon effect (Figure 5B).

EXCELLENT COLOR MATCH

In this case, the excellent final color match of OMNICHROMA is clearly evident; note the warmth at the gingival area and higher value in the body. The excess material is easily removed and shaped with a silicone cup polisher (Figure 6). Clinically, the decision was made to stop here due to having created a surface texture that matched the adjacent tooth structure and teeth.

Comparing the preoperative appearance (Figure 7A) with the immediate postoperative photo of the restoration dry (Figure 7B) shows that OMNICHROMA blends well with the restored tooth. Utilizing this technique with Tokuyama Universal Bond and single-shade OMNICHROMA universal composite achieved an excellent esthetic outcome that pleased both the patient and provider.

EMBRACE THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY

Today’s restorative materials are changing quickly, and clinicians should be open-minded when evaluating new composites. A key consideration in such assessments is that many new materials involve changes in technique or the sequence of steps to which an operator has become accustomed. In clinical practice, simple is better.

One-shade OMNICHROMA universal composite from Tokuyama Dental allows dentists to achieve excellent results, simplifies the color selection process, and decreases the inventory of material an office needs to stock. From a clinical perspective, this is a game-changing material.

From Decisions in Dentistry. September 2019;5(8):42.