Download For immediate release September 2013 IADR symposium highlights

For immediate release
September 2013
IADR symposium highlights mounting evidence of EQUIA as reliable Long- term restorative
solution
Researchers and Clinicians share latest results for the two-step Restorative solution by GC
Leuven, Belgium (September 2013): Equia, a glass ionomer based restorative system GC, received
overwhelmingly positive reviews at a clinical symposium attended by prominent dental researchers
from around Europe. The 46th meeting of the Continental European Division of the IADR took place
in September in Florence, Italy, where a symposium on the latest trends in glass ionomer science
was held by GC Europe, a global leader in dental materials.
Distinguished scientists and clinicians gathered at the event to exchange ideas, share knowledge and
present their data on GC’s EQUIA restorative system.
The main clinical findings for Equia included:
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When coated with highly filled resin coating, GIC shows improved mechanical strength
A perfect seal of surface porosities, cracks and improved acid resistance is attainable with
EQUIA Coat
48 month clinical trial results show Equia is a durable material for class I and II restorations
Randomised control trial (RCT ) shows survival rate for Equia restorations was 99.5% after 12
months and 96.3% after 24 months
Evolution of glass ionomer materials
Professor Avijit Banerjee, opened the symposium with his presentation on the uses and abuses of
glass ionomer cements (GICs) in dentistry. Banerjee, a professor of cariology and restorative
dentistry at Guy’s Dental Hospital, at King’s College London, the Institute of Dentistry, is an
internationally renowned researcher in the fields of cariology and minimum intervention dentistry.
He outlined the clinical advantages and disadvantages of GICs and referred to various clinical trials
and key systematic reviews which present significant evidence for this field. For Banerjee, further
research and development would provide an improvement in its physical and chemical properties,
giving GIC the potential to halt the carious process, making it a material ideally suited to minimum
intervention dentistry.
GICs and composite in perfect harmony: Equia
Professor Ulrich Lohbauer (University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany) explored the mechanical
performance of GICs with an in vitro assessment. As a specialist in dental biomaterials, Lohbauer’s
presentation focused specifically on GIC s with a composite coating. His lecture considered the
general maturation process of GICs, which only achieve their mechanical stability over a period of
time . Against this backdrop, Lohbauer believes that new approaches to restorative therapy have
been developed with GICs, which should overcome the shortcomings in mechanical properties (such
as low fracture toughness, flexural strength and surface hardness), improve aesthetic results and
decrease sensitivity during the maturation stage.
One such example is the Equia restorative system, consisting of a highly viscous (Equia Fil) Glass
ionomer cement coupled with a nano-filled, light-curing composite lacquer (Equia Coat). According
to Lohbauer, in-vitro examinations have shown that Equia Coat protects the cement surface from
acid erosion, setting it apart from conventional GICs. He also presented data which confirmed
Equia’s suitability as a modern restorative material for the class II fillings due to the positive effect
the coating has on the GIC physical properties. Lohbauer expressly advised the audience to follow
the manufacturer instructions meticulously in relation to the coating and to consider the indications
in order to achieve best results.
Promising results with far-reaching consequences
The symposium continued with Professor Sevil Gurgan (Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey), who
has worked for more than 30 years at Hacettepe University’s Faculty of Dentistry. Professor Gurgan
presented the latest results of her team’s research on Equia, a four-year randomised clinical trial to
evaluate the clinical performance of a glass ionomer restorative system, and showed Equia’s
capabilities in class I and II restorations in comparison with composites over a period of four years.
The research included 140 lesions, which were restored either with Equia or the comparable
material, Gradia Direct Posterior (GC) in combination with G-Bond (GC). The results after 48 months
revealed that in none of the remaining 126 restorations at this point in time (76 class I and 50 class
II) had any reduction in performance in terms of retention, secondary caries, surface structure,
postoperative sensitivity and colour stability. Only moderately significant differences compared with
the baseline level were found in relation to marginal integrity and discolouration for both restorative
materials. Gurgan concluded from these results that both materials have similar clinical performance
after 48 months, which makes them appropriate filling alternatives for the examined Class I and II
cavities.
Practice-based research yields positive outcomes
Dr Thomas Klinke (University of Greifswald, Germany) then added to Gurgan’s impressive trial
results the findings of a unique study. As the title, ‘Equia - RCT in the field: longevity after 24 months’
suggests, Klinke presented 24-month results of a prospective, randomised, double-blind clinical trial
of Equia that will run for five years (Prof Reiner Biffar, Dr Thomas Klinke, Centre for Dental, Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Greifswald). The research is characterised by its unique
study design, which was conceived for observation in the field and is intended to reflect real
everyday life in practice. A total of 3,194 dentists were invited to do eight one or two stage fillings in
their practices using Equia Fil or Fuji IX Fast (GC) based on the manufacturer’s instructions. The
survival rate for Equia was 99.5% after 12 months and 96.3% after 24 months. All the fillings (n=644)
were evaluated as clinically positive and no significant differences were determined in terms of
longevity between the two materials. The findings show good clinical performance for both
materials throughout the period of research, while Klinke says the ongoing follow-ups confirm the
current results. Klinke pointed out that to achieve the ideal durability of a restoration, the
manufacturer’s indications should always be followed to the letter.
Paving the way for modern dentistry
The sheer number of findings and trial results presented at the symposium demonstrated that glass
ionomer-based systems such as Equia have good clinical performance over the periods examined (up
to 48 months). It also underlined the potential of glass ionomers combined with composites for
restorative therapy. In summary, it is clear that the evolution of restorative materials continues and
innovations such as glass ionomer-based Equia benefit not only from the advantages of GIC and
composites, but pave the way to the future of modern dental treatment.
Please visit our YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/GCEuropeProducts) to view video
footage of the symposium.
ENDS
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