Pulpdent Embrace Resin Cement Review: Simple, Predictable Crown Cementation

Resin cements have been available to the dental profession for two decades, but the number of clinical steps involved and their technique sensitivity have made resin cementation less than popular. On the other hand, the clinical and physical properties of resin cements are far superior to zinc oxyphosphate and polycarboxylate materials; the resins bond to enamel, dentin, composite, ceramic, and metals, while the older cements do not.

The earlier resin cements required: etching, conditioning, and applying bonding agents to the tooth surfaces, and also roughening, conditioning, and applying adhesives to the metal and ceramic surfaces, all the while maintaining the bonded tooth surfaces clean and dry and uncontaminated without a rubber dam. Complicated cement activation was also a problem.

Today, the true single-step resin cement is here. Pulpdent’s Embrace Resin Cement is the first in an innovative generation of simplified resin cements that offers excellent and technique insensitive treatment. Here’s a sample case.

Fig. 1: Cementing crowns on these centrals used to require many technique sensitive steps. Today, the only necessary pre-cementation treatment is to lightly dry the tooth surfaces and leave them very slightly moist. NO etch, conditioner, adhesive, light-cure, air-drying or any other step is necessary.

Fig. 2: Automix syringes provide consistently optimal dispensing. The auto-mixing tip is placed on the syringe. The first time the syringe is used, the first bit of cement that flows out of the tip is discarded (the base and catalyst mix may not be even).

Fig. 3: The interior of the crown is roughened and dried, and Embrace Resin Cement is dispensed directly into the PFM Crown, which is then seated directly onto the very slightly moist tooth.

Fig. 4: Embrace Resin Cement is also dispensed directly into an etched and dried reinforced all-ceramic crown, which is then seated directly onto the very slightly moist tooth.

Fig. 5: The margins are light-cured for 1-2 seconds, and the excess cement can be gently teased away immediately with a suitable instrument. The remaining cement is allowed to set 5-6 minutes in an oxygen-inhibited environment prior to final marginal polishing. (PFMs courtesy Len Lim, Progenic Dental Laboratory).

Fig. 6: Molar and premolar conservatively prepared to supragingival margins.

Fig. 7: The PFM crowns on the stone model showing translucent porcelain at the gingival margin.

Fig. 8: The premolar crown showing the translucent marginal porcelain on the buccal (semi-precious alloy has been cut back 1-2mm).

Fig. 9: The molar crown showing the translucent marginal porcelain on the buccal (semi-precious alloy has been cut back 1-2mm).

Fig. 10: The same technique can be applied to CapTek crowns.

Fig. 11: Embrace Resin Cement is auto-mixed and dispensed directly into the crowns which are then seated onto the slightly moist abutments. Following marginal light curing for 1-2 seconds, the excess cement is teased away immediately. After 5-6 minutes of setting in an oxygen-inhibited environment, the final marginal polishing is completed. (PFMs courtesy Len Lim, Progenic Dental Laboratory).