FAQ Special Section

Brasseler USA^®

Brasseler USA’s complete line of bioactive materials can cover all of your endodontic material needs while providing you with the best healing and handling characteristics. We want you to understand how our thoughtfully developed materials can benefit your patients.

What are bioactives?

Bioactives are generally categorized as any product that elicits a positive biological response. In dentistry, the response is typically in the form of a release of beneficial calcium, phosphate, or fluoride ions. Bioactives can include non-bioceramic components as they are defined by what they do and not by their composition.

How do they differ from bioceramics?

Bioceramics are defined by both their composition and what they are designed to do. Bioceramics are inorganic, ceramic material (refractory polycrystalline compounds). Brasseler’s bioceramics are pure calcium silicate, calcium phosphate-based bioceramics that are designed to set hard in the presence of the moisture naturally present in dentin. According to these definitions, products consisting of metals and/or resins are not pure bioceramics. Many recently introduced sealers that claim to be “bioceramics” don’t meet this definition as they contain non-bioceramic components in order to try to circumvent the BC Sealer patents. They are also void of calcium phosphate and contain lower levels of calcium silicates.

What are hybrid bioactive materials?

Hybrid bioactive materials include BC Liner™ and BC Temp™. These materials contain some components that are not defined as bioceramics. The non-bioceramic components of these products were incorporated to overcome the inherent challenges of pure premixed bioceramics. BC Temp includes components that prevent the material from setting hard, which allows it to be easily removed (intra-canal dressing). BC Liner includes components that allow for light curing and for optimal strength and wear characteristics. Both of these materials are bioactive and highly compatible with Brasseler’s pure premixed bioceramics (BC Temp contains calcium silicates releases calcium and hydroxyl ions and BC Liner releases calcium, phosphate and fluoride ions).

How can clinicians use Brasseler’s line of bioactive materials?

• The BC Sealer™ and BC Sealer HiFlow™ are used for obturation (ortho or retrograde as a root-end filling capped with a plug of putty). HiFlow is optimized for warm condensation methods, and BC Sealer is optimized for cold hydraulic condensation.
• BC RRM Paste™ is slightly thicker than BC Sealer and can be syringed into a site for perforation repair or pulp capping. BC Paste should be used for difficult to reach repair procedures, where you would normally utilize the MAP system with MTA.
• BC RRM Putty/Fast Set Putty™ is used for all repair procedures where you would like to condense the material and where you need strong resistance to washout. It is ideal as pulp cap and retro filling.
• BC Temp is an intracanal dressing that gradually releases hydroxyl and calcium ions maintaining a steady ph and it is easily delivered and removed.
• BC Liner is a multi-functional, light curable patented RMGI that is optimized for use with BC Sealer/RRM. It extremely strong and has excellent wear characteristics. It can be placed over the top of unset BC RRM after repair of a perforation, resorptive defect, or pulp-capping procedure. The blue version is most often utilized as an orifice barrier, and for this application, a bonding agent is not needed.

To learn more, please visit https://brasselerusadental.com/endosequence-bioactives/, or contact Brasseler at 800-841-4522.

GentleWave^® by Sonendo^®

Michael Tulkki, DDS, MS, shares his experiences

Has GentleWave^® improved your clinical outcomes?

The GentleWave procedure has changed the way I discuss clinical outcomes with patients. Traditional endodontic therapy has clinical limitations that can affect overall prognosis. Teeth that present with long, thin, curved roots and difficult anatomical situations — e.g., C-shaped canals, lateral canals, and isthmuses — can be very difficult to achieve predictable results with traditional instrumentation and irrigation protocols. The GentleWave procedure changes our prognosis by allowing for multisonic cleaning of these anatomical challenges in a conservative treatment approach that protects the natural anatomy of the tooth. Without question, the ability to treat these challenges in a new way improves clinical outcome.

Has GentleWave contributed to increased production?

From a business standpoint, the GentleWave procedure has improved clinical efficiency in indirect ways. Our armamentarium has decreased with far less instrumentation than previously, which decreases certain supply costs. We have far less follow-up pain issues that can take considerable time addressing postoperatively. We have decreased our surgical endodontic therapy by addressing more anatomy with the GentleWave system. This allows us to have more time to spend on initial or retreatment root canal therapy, which has a better reimbursement in our area.

What concerns do you have, if any?

In our practice all teeth are evaluated with a cone beam scan during our diagnostic evaluation. This allows us to evaluate the etiology and potential prognosis for root canal therapy. With this information, we can visualize both the internal anatomical complexities as well as the surrounding hard and soft tissue that correlates with our planned procedure. The overall safety of our procedure has improved with pre-op evaluation and treatment with the GentleWave procedure. The GentleWave procedure has not resulted in any adverse results over the past 5 years of clinical care utilizing the procedural guidelines.

To learn more about GentleWave^® System, visit Sonendo.com/Technology.

US Endo Partners

What is US Endo Partners?

US Endo Partners is a national network of growth-minded clinicians who collaborate to create better outcomes for our patients, partners, and teams, and to advance the endodontic specialty. By sharing best practices and key learnings, challenging each other to push past comfort zones, and encouraging our peers to think bigger, we achieve a higher level of success — while feeling invigorated, connected, and content in our careers and at home. Founded in 2018, we were the nation’s first Specialty Dental Service Organization exclusively for endodontists — and we were recently the nation’s first endodontic SDSO to enjoy a successful equity event.

“There’s a sort of magic to this group. We have support and the opportunity to grow — and to do it as a collective, instead of as individuals.” — Brett E. Gilbert, DDS, King Endodontics, Partner and Believer since 2020

What makes US Endo different from other SDSOs?

Simply put, our Partners are what set us apart. Not only are they successful clinicians operating successful practices, but they also care deeply about where the specialty is going. We are also driven by our heartfelt Vision, Mission, and Core Values as they provide clarity, alignment, and unity of purpose that define our thriving culture.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see hundreds of the best endodontists in the country committed to the same vision and values — all in the patient’s best interest. — Olivia Cook, DMD, Highland Endodontics, Partner and Believer since 2020

Beyond financial, what are the other benefits to partnering with US Endo?

We believe that the success we generate from our aligned pursuit of excellence should be rewarded. Our Partners have a stake in the company’s proven financial success and are Class A shareholders in our company, which means you invest in your partners, and they invest in you. Moreover, as a practicing endodontist, your work continues to produce for you at the same time as your investment does. This allows our Partners to realize the benefits of retirement while they’re still building — and benefiting from — their careers.

But we’re not just looking to create wealth for our Partners — we seek to create value. Part of that value is fostering meaningful opportunities for our doctors and their teams to grow as people; we believe wholeheartedly that better people make better leaders, which make better practices, and that better practices help more patients get out of pain.

“Partnering with US Endo was not an exit strategy. It was a growth strategy.” — Scott Doyle, DDS, MS, Metropolitan Endodontics, Partner and Believer since 2021

What do I have to change when I partner with US Endo?

US Endo looks for opportunities to support you and your team, and to amplify your practice — not to fix things that aren’t broken. Most importantly, our business model leaves the clinical side of your business untouched; you’ll continue to have freedom to treat patients the way you always have, and the time and energy you need to focus your attention on exceptional outcomes. US Endo respects what you’ve worked years to build and honors that by keeping your team whole and preserving your practice name, brand identity, and culture.

We’ve hand-selected a support team from the best-of-the-best in their respective fields. They collaborate with the business side of your practice in areas from marketing and human resources to billing and compliance, so you can keep your eyes on what matters most. In short, we do what we do best, so you and your team can do what you do best.

“It’s business as usual — but it’s business in a better way.” — John Haycock, Fayette Endodontics, Partner and Believer since 2021

The Endo Files Podcast — Deep dives and unexpected conversations with the top names in Endo. Listen at https://www.usendopartners.com/podcasts