Top 5 Core Buildup Materials in Dentistry

Selecting The Best Core Build-up Materials For Crown Replacement

Crown build-ups with older restorations tend to cause leakage and secondary caries, making the removable process for old amalgams and composites a severe issue many dentists face. The sub-amalgam gunk that’s impossible to see through imaging scans causes issues with crown placement and, thus, needs extra time to clean. To help resolve this issue, removing the gunk from the tooth corer will then require a crown build-up material, a composite that’s consistent, smooth, and acts as the bonding agent for the conventional crown prep.

Material Type

Dentin is a highly variable material and thus needs a compatible core build-up material that simulates the dentin’s hardness, strength, and supportive function. For clinicians, they have several choices for core materials, including:

Amalgam

Amalgams remain quite useful as a core material, especially when metal and meta-based crowns are employed. However, securing the amalgam can lead to crack propagation and penetration into the pulp of the space. Also, when used as a resin bonding material, the silver color can affect the appearance of the ceramic materials, and the setting reaction can take up to 24 hours, depending on the formulation.

Glass Ionomer

Glass ionomer core composites have been used for generations as a highly recommended bonding material for core build-up because of their ability to release fluoride and bond to the tooth structure. They have less risk of post-operative sensitivity. Glass ionomers are difficult to manipulate, can’t be prepared until the curing reaction is complete, and possess inferior physical properties.

Composite Filling

Composite resins remain a fairly new concept for core build-up. Recent advances in dentin and enamel bond strength give it significant shear bond strength greater than ionomers or amalgams. Because these resins don’t need pins or slots to prep, composite resins offer a more conservative restoration and offer the greatest range of shades for ceramic restorations.

Top 10 Dental Core Build Up Materials

Activation Mechanism

Composite resins for core materials can produce the most viable build-up for the most optimal results. With different varieties of composite resins, some of the main materials dentists can choose from include:

Self-Cure Composite Resin

Self-cure resins exhibit high tensile strength and compressibility, that can match the color of the tooth and has a dentin-like feel. The composite resin can be placed in a syringe if needed and initiates the process without the need for an external light source.

Light-Cure Composite Resin

Light-cure resins also exhibit ideal mechanical properties with high compressible and tensile strength yet maintaining a dentin-like feel when cutting, but also have a highly radiopaque composition of a 5 mm average depth of cure. Light curing requires the polymerization of light to bond the material to the tooth.

Dual-Cure Composite Resin

Dual-cure resins are designed for the cementation of posts and pins and are great for core build-ups. It maintains an ideal dentin feel and has high tensile strength, and can be placed in a syringe. It can come in multiple shades to match the color of the tooth. Dual-core is excellent for resin materials that need extra curing that light cure can’t provide alone.

The bottom line is certain core resins aren’t always compatible with bonding agents, and to ensure the most accurate core build-up, testing the compatibility of the core with the bonding agent is the most optimal choice.

Table 1: Comparison of Numbers

Top 10 Dental Core Build-Up

1. Ketac Silver Aplicap Capsules

Self-Cure Glass Ionomer Composite

Net32 Ratings: 5 Stars out of 17 Reviews

Awards: 4 and ½ stars from the Dental Advisor

The Ketac silver restorative offers a high long-fluoride release and strong adhesion to enamel and dentin to ensure a proper seal. This self-curing restorative works well for build-ups due to its moisture tolerance and excellent thermal and electrical insulation and thus helps to prevent post-operative sensitivity. The Ketac silver is biocompatible, making it suitable for core build-ups, and it doesn’t require any undercutting, making it easy to conserve the tooth structure. It’s an easy-to-mix formula that delivers the mixture in a capsule system for versatile usage and has less shrinkage for better marginal integrity.

Net32 Price: $109.90

2. Beautiful Flow Plus

Light Cure Composite Resin

Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 28 Reviews

Beautiful Flow by Shofu Dental aims to simplify the steps of filling by making it syringe delivered and cured when needed, preventing the onset of postoperative sensitivity and time consumption. It reduces the need for inventory space and helps to facilitate easier clean-up. It adapts to the tooth’s structure by achieving a tighter marginal seal, reducing the occurrence of voids. It’s designed to stand up the occlusal surface and marginal ridge, making it a highly adaptive composite that achieves better adaptation to the tooth’s surface with flexural strength.

Net32 Price: $24.24

3. Denfil

Light Cure Restorative Composite Resin

Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 13 Reviews

Denfil can be used for posterior and anterior restorations and minimizes polymerization by shrinking, using inorganic fillers that create an excellent marginal seal and surface texture. It has high strength and abrasion resistance and contains a radio-opaque filler, allowing for easy diagnosis with x-rays and imaging scanners. Because of its optimal strength and flexibility, it has an excellent reputation for its workability, and as a light cure, it only requires an external light source to activate.

Net32 Price: $23.35

4. Luxacore Automix Dual

Dual Core Composite Resin

Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 4 Reviews

Awards: Preferred Product for Composite Core Material of 2019 by The Dental Advisor

Luxacore incorporates cutting-edge power into a core filler that has superior flexural and compressive strength. Luxacore works as a single-step post cement that releases fluoride over time and cuts just as softly as natural dentin for precise results. Luxacore contains excellent flow properties and optimal adaption to the cavity walls and root posts of the tooth, and has a thin film thickness of 20µm, making it ideal for root posts and core build-up. Luxacore is available in natural, blue, and light opaque shades for easy blending and is known as one of the most reliable core materials from DMG America.

Net32 Price: $174.50

5. Clearfil DC Core Plus

Dual Core Composite Resin

Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 2 Reviews

Kuraray America works to give its dentists a viable source or core building. It introduces its dual-core, two-component material that delivers in an automix system for ease of use. Clearful DC has a filler loading of 74% wt, giving it superior compressive and flexural strength. The Clearfil DC contains fluoride that releases over time to help reduce post-operative sensitivity, and its long-term durability gives it the feel and cut of dentin. Its radio-opaque fill allows for easy diagnosis with x-rays.

Net32 Price: $142.00

Table 2: Comparison of Features