TECHNIQUES for DOC’S BEST™ Cements with Activated Copper

Under Composites:

We advocate removal of all decay except over the pulpal chamber of a vital tooth, where removal would risk pulpal exposure. Pulpal exposure is never necessary in a vital tooth. We do not advocate bonding to dentin. We feel that dentin bonding has led to countless unnecessary root canals. Organic compounds by their very nature are unstable.

Easy Steps:

1. Place 1/4 scoop of Red or White Cement (powder only) in a dappen dish. Drop enough COPALITE® Varnish in powder (about 4 drops) to make a slurry mix. Quickly paint the dentin surfaces. There should be a visible shiny pink/red layer once the COPALITE® varnish dries. This will require 5 coats, optimally. The active copper ions penetrate into direct contact with Biofilms responsible for decay.
2. Mix a thick mix as a base of the DOC’S BEST™ Cement and place on the protective dentinal tubuli sealer with a CENTRIX® Tube & Plug. Use a bur to clean enamel.
3. Etch the enamel.
4. Place a layer of SNAPBOND® adhesive and light cure.
5. Incrementally place your choice of composite. Use our FORMATILL™ instruments to create contacts and carve perfect tooth anatomy in posterior composites.

Root Canal Posts

Without exception, all root canal posts should be cemented with copper cements as dentin tubules are ideal for Biofilm inhabitation. Softening around root canal posts is universal, after time, with bonded posts. Softening is unheard of with activated copper cements.

1. Place ½ scoop of cement powder in 8 drops of COPALITE® Varnish. Using a rubber dam for isolation, use a saturated sponge or brush applicator to saturate the prepared post space. Allow the COPALITE®/Copper powder liner to set for two full minutes, then air dry.
2. With a spiral, spin a regular mix as used to cement restorations, and fill the post preparation with cement, using a CENTRIX® Tube & Plug, then place the post. The end of the CENTRIX® Tube can be enlarged by clipping the tip with scissors in such case the mix is too thick to express into the cavity.
3. Add additional powder to the cement mix to thicken it to a base consistency.
4. Cover the top of the post and the remaining crown structure with this thick mix as a build-up for your restoration of choice.

Where tooth breakdown is so severe, that little or no original crown structure remains, DOC’S BEST™ Powder/Composite mix can be bonded to the retentive top of the post and the root.

Mixed with your favorite Composite:

DOC’S BEST™ Powders used with composite does prevent infestation in composite build-ups. It does not offer the continuous infintesimal release of anti-biofilm ions that are obtained with the DOC’S BEST cements.

Too much powder either white or red should not be mixed with either self-curing or light cured composite.

Approximately 1/4 scoop should be used with the amount one would normally use to fill an MOD molar composite. The color when mixed with composite should be light red but not dark red. It is easy to add too much white powder because the color is not as noticeable as the red powder. More powder is NOT better. One or two mixes will allow the practitioner easy mastery of the correct process. Powder in correct amounts allows for a complete set. The more is better rule will lead to a less adequate set. This can be easily remedied by using less powder.

Pedodontic Treatment:

We believe that a vital pedodontic tooth treated therapeutically with COPALITE® Varnish and DOC’S BEST™ powder followed by placement of a cement base is in every way superior to the more common pulpotomy. The fact that a pulpotomy works at all suggests the strong resilience to healing one finds in children’s teeth.

1. Mix in a dappen dish 1 scoop of DOC’S BEST™ powder (red or white) and 4-8 drops of COPALITE® Varnish.
2. Mix a thick mix of the DOC’S BEST™ cement as a base, load into a CENTRIX® Tube &Plug and place in the tooth. Etch and place bond on the cement, then finish with either composite or cement a pedodontic crown( Pedo Pearl) using DOC’S BEST™ Cement.