After development in offshore markets, Tokuyama launched a new resin at the prestigious Chicago Midwinter Meeting in February 2019. It also hit the Pacific Dental Conference, March 2019 . The resin is Omnichroma
What’s new? Its singular claim is an ability to blend with very wide range of tooth shades using only a single shade. They manufacture a second to mask/opaque where needed.
See Cases restored using Omnichroma
The Promising aspect of this product: Universal shade match promises to simplify inventory for both dentists and suppliers. it also might improve cosmetics for the patient. Also, it might solve an unmet clinical problem-shade mismatch between restorations and teeth if teeth are whitened (bleached) through a peroxide program, office-provided or OTC .
How good is it? Can we buy it, throw away our other shaded resins, and put it everywhere? We can evaluate esthetics because we can see that. Esthetics are not enough. We need to also evaluate any new resin for properties which we cannot see. Unless you feel like being reckless you will have to address the limitations highlighted in black below. take your own look at physical properties, which are housed in this product at Tokuyama’s Omnichroma Technical Bulletin
Check it out. You will find graphic comparisons with other well-known resins from several university research labs on:
- Gloss -pg 18= >90%, rates very high compared to most resins
- Wear resistance – pg 20= negligible with negligible opposing tooth wear. Top in its class
- Polymerization Shrinkage – pg 21 1.5% a beneficially low number
- Radiopacity – pg 25 = average for posterior resins
- Contraction Stress – pg 29 =>2.5MPa, higher than most, a negative quality suggesting careful placement of small increments might be needed to avoid white line defects and crazing enamel in the host tooth
- Flexural Strength —pg 30- 110MP weak– suitable for light function patients in Class II restorations
- Elastic Modulus- pg 30= 9.2 GPa- less than dentin, below median for posterior resins, limiting its application to light to light-medium function patients. See Resin Selection Sieve , Light function patients
- Compressive strength -pg31- 310MPa = high, but not usually a significant clinical attribute
- Depth of cure – pg 32 – consistent to 4 mm, indicating high curabiity, which should deliver on properties in real-life clinical application. Better than most resins
- Stain resistance -pg 22 = low, on par with best-rated resins
- Color Matching- repeatedly superior to most shade-matched resins
Want to go further? Have a look at how I evaluate resins?…See RESIN SELECTION