Futurabond DC

The user presses the blister to enable mixing of the self-etching bonding agent and the dual-cured activator, punctures the foil with the applicator brush, stirs, and applies. No shaking or refrigeration is required. The dual-cured, self-etching, 8th-generation bonding agent is nano-reinforced, producing a bond strength of more than 30 MPa to dental and enamel, and with no sensitivity, according to VOCO. Futurabond DC works with all light-, self-, and dualcured resins. Therefore it is intended for use with composite restorations, core build-ups, post cementation, and indirect restorations. The chemical cured only mode makes the product very suitable to use in the root canal, avoiding a pooling effect (blocking the root canal with cured bonding agent). Twelve dentists participated in the Dental Product Shopper evaluation of Futurabond DC. They rated such features as patient sensitivity, ease of use, bond strength, and universality.

Patient Sensitivity
Patient sensitivity with Futurabond DC was rated as excellent by 8 dentists and as very good by 4. One dentist reported “minimal sensitivity,” 2 had “no reports of sensitivity,” and 1 said “absolutely no sensitivity.”

Ease of Use (Delivery System and Handling)
Ease of use of Futurabond DC was rated as excellent by 6 evaluators, as very good or good by 5, and as fair by 1. Five dentists rated the delivery system as excellent, 4 rated it as very good, 2 rated it as fair, and 1 rated it as poor. One dentist called the delivery system “almost foolproof” and another said “it mixes well and it’s easy to use.” The foil blister pack is opened by puncturing it with the handle of the provided application brush. One dentist commented that the brush “didn’t bend easily to allow easier access into preps.” Another evaluator did not like “having to mix the product in the blister pack.” Handling was rated as excellent by 4 evaluators, as very good by 6, as good by 1, and as fair by 1. The consistency was described as “good and not too drippy” by 1 dentist.

Bond Strength, Elasticity, and Curing Time
Ten dentists evaluated the bond strength of Futurabond DC; 7 rated it as excellent and 3 rated it as very good or good. Elasticity (evaluated by 11 dentists) was rated as excellent by 6 dentists and as very good or good by 5. One evaluator said “so far, so good.” Comments about curing time included “no problems” and “works fine as is.” Seven dentists rated this criterion as excellent and 5 as very good.

Universality
Eight evaluators rated universality of Futurabond DC as excellent and 4 rated it as very good. Comments included “I liked the dual-cure aspect; it expanded uses” and “dual cure is great for post cementation.” One dentist said “the self-curing is a nice touch.”

Overall Satisfaction
Six dentists rated Futurabond DC’s time efficiency as excellent, 5 rated it as very good, and 1 rated it as fair, noting that the product he currently uses is faster. Overall satisfaction was rated as excellent by 5 evaluators, as very good by 4, and as good by 3. Six dentists said they would definitely recommend it to their colleagues, 4 said probably, 1 said probably not, and 1 wasn’t sure.