DTUK1110

April 26-May 2, 201022 United Kingdom EditionEducation E very time I go to Dental Showcase or talk to sales representatives, I always hear about the ‘latest and great- est’ new crown material, or new companies with the patent for the latest new idea. In compari- son, materials relating to den- tures don’t seem to have changed much over the years. However, I am happy to re- port that there is a new denture tooth that, in my mind, is signifi- cantly different from the rest of the teeth on the market and should be of interest to dentists wanting to give their patients a choice. In the same way that we might offer the patient two or three options for an anterior crown, why don’t we give pa- tients different options for den- ture teeth? Candulor products There are two new products from adentalmanufacturercalledCan- dulor. The first is a nano-filled composite (NFC) tooth; it is based on a urethane dimethylacrylate matrix with organic filler. Abra- sion measurements taken at dif- ferent universities (Innsbruck and Regensburg, both in Ger- many) show significantly better abrasionvaluesthanotheracrylic teeth. The tooth also has a partic- ular natural brilliance; its main properties are outstanding resist- ance to abrasion, plaque resist- ance, colour and oral stability. Its natural transparency and trans- lucency create an opalescent cusp, which, in many ways, looks like a ceramic material. The tooth is laminated, being a four- layer tooth, and the neck is made of PMMA, giving a good bond to the denture material. From my perspective, it is great to be able to offer a patient a much harder tooth, but one that still bonds well with the denture based acrylic, which, for example, is arguably a potential downside of using porcelain teeth. Candulor has an interesting occlusal set-up where it follows the idea of the condyle sitting in the glenoid fossa and they try to reproduce this in the teeth they manufacture. This creates a mortar and pestle effect with the cusp of one arch lying in the bowl like fossa of the opposing arch tooth. Although there are differing views around the best denture occlusion, most of us who do a lot of work in this field would argue that we are look- ing for balanced occlusion with minimal interferences in lateral excursions. Good marketing Overall, Candulor seems to have hit on a great idea of being able to provide harder teeth and a re- ally good occlusal arrangement. Candulor also have a gum-stain- ing kit, and in my view, one of the best things about Candulor is that it has great visual marketing aids for dentists and patients. If you’re trying to inspire your den- tal technician to do really good work, it is helpful to begin with the end in mind, and Candulor has produced maps of where the staining should be placed to produce the most natural gum effects. These maps show where the soft, medium and strong col- ours should all be placed. When experienced, the technicians can very quickly carry out gum staining at the denture process- ing stage. DT For more information about trying the NFC teeth or gum staining kits, contact Metrodent on 01484 466 715. Justin Stewart looks at what’s new in the world of denture teeth Options for dentures About the author Justin Stewart was the first quali- fied Biofunctional Prosthetic System (BPS) dentist in the UK. He is a mem- ber of the American Prosthodontic Society and the British Society for the Study of Prosthetic Den- tistry. Dr Stewart is dedicated to resolv- ing denture-related problems through teaching and training. For further in- formation, please email Justin Stewart at enquiries@thedentureclinic.co.uk.