By Dr. Delfín Barquero
The Heroic Dentistry series celebrates oral health care providers who, like PULPDENT founder Dr. Harold Berk, have made it their mission to save teeth and help patients live in comfort and smile with confidence.
Treatments that would normally require multiple visits can be completed in just one appointment with materials like ACTIVA BioACTIVE-RESTORATIVE.
Maria was in her early 60s when she was referred to our practice with nine posterior teeth requiring restorations.
She would soon be undergoing radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, and due to concerns about infection from untreated caries, she wanted all dental restorations completed before starting cancer treatment.
Xerostomia is a typical side effect of radiation, and this leads to root caries, which is often visible within several months. This was a concern as was Maria’s ability to maintain adequate oral hygiene during her radiation treatment. Time and cost were also considerations.
Materials that promote remineralization can help protect compromised teeth. I chose ACTIVA BioACTIVE-RESTORATIVE because I could complete the case quickly and effectively, and the material supports the natural remineralization process and keeps the margins intact with apatite formation and a non-soluble seal at the material-tooth interface. The release and recharge of calcium, phosphate and fluoride ions is pH sensitive and beneficial to tooth structure, and the rubberized-resin component provides a durable, fracture resistant restoration.
The teeth were prepared, etched, bonded, and restored with ACTIVA. The flowable characteristics of ACTIVA allowed me to complete each posterior restoration in eight minutes. The material adapted easily to the tooth, produced no bubbles or voids, and provided excellent results.
The grateful patient was pleased with the esthetics and impressed that all nine restorations could be placed in a single, affordable appointment.
For more than one hundred years, the tradition of dentistry has been passed down through the Barquero family in Costa Rica. Dr. Delfin Barquero continues this proud tradition bringing innovative new technologies and sciences to the practice of modern dentistry. Dr. Barquero teaches and lectures worldwide.
Learn more about ACTIVA BioACTIVE-RESTORATIVE