SHOFU Beautifil II LS - Lives Up to Its Name

 

Before I get to today's post, I want to let you know that SHOFU will be at the Chicago MidWinter Meeting next week.  Their booth is number 2815.  They will have product samples available.  If you won't be in Chicago, you can still get samples of their products.  Please feel free to contact your Territory Manager to request them.  That info can be found by clicking this link.  Now that you know how to get samples, let's get to a discussion on a SHOFU product I'd like you make you aware of...

I'll gladly admit that I am a dental materials geek.  I've always been fascinated by the 'why' and the 'how' of things.  To be completely honest, I didn't realize how much that would come into play as a dentist.  I was always drawn to the field and that interest started when I was just three years old.  At that time in my life, I had no idea how much my choice to enter dentistry would factor into that interest.  Because of that I've tended to do a deep dive on many of my materials choices over the years.  One of the things that really piqued my interest was the subject of adhesive dentistry and composites.

There are a lot composite restorative materials on the market, but there are lots of differences between them.  For sure the category is not a 'one size fits all' kind of thing.  I've always been a guy who keeps a few different products around so that I can completely match a difficult anterior case.  Sometimes I use a less aesthetic material in the posterior because the patient has a high caries rate.  There are a lot of variables when it comes to materials *and* patients.

Then you factor in costs.  Do you want to keep your money tied up in several different lines of composite?  Can those resources be better served elsewhere?  Doctors routinely are confronted with these, sometimes difficult, decisions every day.

Today let's discuss a way around that dilemma.  SHOFU has a terrific material called Beautifil II LS and it is pretty amazing.  The material is a nano-hybrid.  Why is that important?  Nano-hybrids have incredibly tiny filler particles and that makes them polish incredibly well.  That's critical in anterior restorations.  In the case of Beautifil II LS that structure also combines to create light transmission and diffusion properties similar to both dentin and enamel.  That helps the material to blend really well and minimizes the need to layer to create life-like restorations.  The polish and optics make this a great material choice for restorations in the cosmetic zone.

However, aesthetics are just one aspect that make Beautifil II LS a terrific restorative choice.  It is a truly universal composite which is suitable for the posterior as well.  Those same nano-particles are also amazingly important in posterior restorations.  The material is highly filled (83.3%) and that high filler load gives it strong resistance to wear (0.52%) as well as low volumetric shrinkage (<2%) which gives it incredible strength under occlusal loading.

Beautifil II LS also contains SHOFU's proprietary Giomer Technology.  There is a big focus for restorative materials to have "bioactivity", and I think that is a good thing.  However, we don't have a lot of long term data on many of those materials.  Giomer Technology has been around and in use for about 20 years and has a great track record.

Giomer is super interesting.  It is a surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer (S-PRG) filler that was developed by SHOFU.  It basically creates a hybrid material that has glass-ionomer like fluoride release and ion exchange being imbedded in a composite that has incredible aesthetics & polish.

However, just because it's *similar* to glass-ionomer, it also has some tremendous advantages.  Giomer particles release:

• Fluoride
• Strontium
• Sodium
• Borate
• Aluminum
• Silicate

These ions produce several biologic effects:

• Fluoride release + recharge capability from topical fluoride exposure
• Acid neutralization and reduced enamel solubility
• Promotion of remineralization and tooth strengthening
• Antibacterial and antiplaque activity against cariogenic pathogens
• Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) → potential bonding longevity benefit

All of these things combine to make the material bioactive.  Of course it's also strong, shade stable, and polishes to a glass like finish.

One other factor that makes SHOFU a good choice is their price point.  As I mentioned above, running a dental practice is not only about hand skills and great material choices, it's also (unfortunately) a business.  Doctors are constantly walking a tightrope where we try and balance costs with production.  An office has to be profitable to survive.  It's a difficult thing to do.  I've said for years that you can have the best clinical skills on the planet, but if you cannot stay in business you're not going to help very many people with those skills.  That's where another great point about SHOFU comes into play.  The price of many of their materials is around 30% less than some of the other well known brand names.

For young doctors with high student loan debt or doctors looking for ways to trim their operating costs, SHOFU products can be a good business choice as well as a great material choice.

I'll wrap up today's post by saying that I think Beautifil II LS is a terrific material and is *highly recommended*.