Admira® Fusion 5 - A Faster, Simpler Ceramic Restorative
What is the Admira® Fusion 5?
It's hard to fit everything that's positive about Admira® Fusion 5 in a single sentence, but we'll try: the Admira® Fusion 5 is a ceramic universal nano-hybrid restorative which demonstrates high levels of durability and can shade match the entire Vita Classic Shade Spectrum with just five colour variations. The simplified shade matching and highly aesthetic outcome are the main selling points of this composite, but it's also quite notable for its high biocompatibility and low polymerisation shrinkage. This is an exceptionally versatile composite, and in today's blog post we'll be touching on the science behind this restorative, how to use it best, and where it stands out among its competitors.
What are the Indications of the Admira® Fusion 5?
First and foremost, let's talk indications.
Admira® Fusion 5 is a Universal Restorative which uses ceramic nano-hybrid technology, and is suitable for use in the following cases:
- Class I to V restorations.
- Base in class I and II cavities.
- Reconstruction of traumatically damaged anteriors.
- Faceting of discoloured anteriors.
- Correction of shape and shade for improved aesthetic appearance.
- Locking, splinting of loose teeth.
- Repairing veneers, small enamel defects and temporary C&B-materials.
- Extended fissure sealing.
- Restoration of deciduous teeth.
- Core build-up.
- Composite inlays.
Case Study – the Admira® Fusion 5 in Action
Provided by Dr. Hanke Faust, Germany, this is a quick snapshot of a restoration performed using Admira® Fusion 5.
When asked about his opinion on this restorative, Dr Faust had the following to say:
"Due to my high aesthetic demands, I was sceptical at first whether all cavities could really be filled aesthetically with just five shades. But I am thrilled with the final result. The filling material is not visible. In addition, it adapts very well in the cavity and has a low stickiness to the instrument."
- Hanke Faust, Germany
The Admira® Fusion 5 and the Art of Shade Matching
The Admira® Fusion 5 is a dramatically simplified shade system when you compare it to the Vita Classical Shades, with just five variations in colour as opposed to 16. This is made possible thanks to the use of what Voco refer to as "Cluster-Shades", which is in turn, an innovation only made possible by the new ORMOCER® (Aka. Organically Modified Ceramics) resin matrix.
Cluster-shades are bundled clusters of different shade colours (See figure 1). Thanks to the ORMOCER® Resin Matrix, when light hits one of these cluster-shades, the light dispersion helps to create an enhanced "Chameleon" effect. This works by taking advantage of the natural shade variation you’ll find on the surface of a tooth, with no single tooth having a single unified or unbroken colour. Cluster shades provide a natural-looking combination of colours and use a chameleon effect to blend in with surrounding dentine.
It's worth mentioning that the cluster-shade method of colour matching means that an aesthetic outcome can be reached without multi-shade layering, saving you chair time.
The benefits of having a composite which can handle the full spectrum of tooth shades in just 5 products rather than 16 don't just end at easier shade matching, it also means you don't need to stock a composite in each of the 16 Classical VITA shades in order to be prepared. This decreases the pressure put on your stock management and the general administrative load on a practice.
ORMOCER® Resin Matrix’ distribution of light doesn’t just enhance shade matching, but it also has the added benefit of decreasing the polymerization time throughout the light curing process, with each shade cluster only taking ten seconds to fully light cure. This reduces chair time and helps to ensure a full cure.
Figure 1:
Figure 2:
The physical properties of Voco Admira® Fusion 5
This composite has so much more to offer than just shade matching and quick light curing time. First and foremost, this composite contains absolutely no classic monomers, being made without any common monomers such as Bis-GMA [BPA], TEGDMA or HEMA for example. This helps to ensure monomers aren't released after polymerisation and demonstrates a very high level of biocompatibility. The ORMOCER® particles which have been used consist of large and pre-condensed molecules in an inorganic matrix with a high degree of cross-linking.
In terms of makeup, this resin matrix is purely ceramic and has several key benefits thanks to its makeup, first of which being a notably low polymerisation shrinkage of 1.25% by volume which helps to ensure a more secure marginal seal and reduce the chance of restoration failure. Finally, the water absorption for this composite is very low, being 9.1 μg/mm³, which gives restorations with Voco Admira® Fusion 5 long-term colour stability.
Finally, we'd be remiss not to mention the handling of the Voco Admira® Fusion 5. While handling isn't often considered as one of the most important facets of a restorative, the emphasis on The Voco Admira® Fusion 5 as a composite which delivers aesthetic restorations means it needs to be as easy to sculpt as it is to shade match. Thankfully, the non-sticky, smooth consistency of this material helps it to adapt to cavity walls and be modelled easily, which makes it much easier to make lifelike restorations.
In Conclusion
The Voco Admira® Fusion 5 is a reliable and versatile composite for use across a wide range of clinical indications. This is a restorative that does a little bit of everything. It can shade match across the entire Vita Classical range in just five products, saving you on inventory management. It can encourage highly aesthetic outcomes with its innovative design and high sculptability, and it can last a long time due to its low polymerisation shrinkage and water absorption.
