For immediate release

September 2013

IADR symposium highlights mounting evidence of EQUIA as reliable Long- term restorative solution

Researchers and Clinicians share latest results for the two-step Restorative solution by GC

Leuven, Belgium (September 2013): Equia, a glass ionomerbased restorative system GC, received overwhelmingly positive reviews at a clinical symposium attended by prominent dental researchers from around Europe. The 46th meeting of the Continental European Division of the IADR took place in September in Florence, Italy, where a symposium on the latest trends in glass ionomer science was held by GC Europe, aglobal leader in dental materials.

Distinguished scientists and clinicians gathered at the event to exchange ideas, share knowledge and present their data on GC’s EQUIA restorative system.

The main clinical findings for Equia included:

  • When coated with highly filled resin coating, GIC shows improved mechanical strength
  • A perfect seal of surface porosities, cracks and improved acid resistance is attainable with EQUIA Coat
  • 48 month clinical trial results show Equia is a durable material for class I and II restorations
  • Randomised control trial (RCT ) shows survival rate for Equia restorations was 99.5% after 12 months and 96.3% after 24 months

Evolution of glass ionomer materials

Professor Avijit Banerjee,opened the symposium with his presentation on the uses and abuses of glass ionomer cements (GICs) in dentistry. Banerjee, a professor of cariology and restorative dentistry at Guy’s Dental Hospital, at King’s College London, the Institute of Dentistry, is an internationally renowned researcher in the fields of cariology and minimum intervention dentistry. He outlined the clinical advantages and disadvantages of GICs and referred to various clinical trials and key systematic reviews which present significant evidence for this field. For Banerjee, further research and development would provide an improvement in its physical and chemical properties, giving GIC the potential to halt the carious process, making it a material ideally suited to minimum intervention dentistry.

GICs and composite in perfect harmony: Equia

Professor Ulrich Lohbauer (University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany) explored the mechanical performance of GICs with an in vitro assessment. As a specialist in dental biomaterials,Lohbauer’s presentation focused specifically on GICs with a composite coating. His lecture considered the general maturation process of GICs, which only achieve their mechanical stability over a period of time . Against this backdrop, Lohbauer believes that new approaches to restorative therapy have been developed with GICs, which should overcome the shortcomings in mechanical properties (such as low fracture toughness, flexural strength and surface hardness), improve aesthetic results and decrease sensitivity during the maturation stage.

One such example is the Equia restorative system, consisting of a highly viscous (Equia Fil)Glass ionomer cement coupled with a nano-filled, light-curing composite lacquer (Equia Coat). According to Lohbauer, in-vitro examinations have shown that Equia Coat protects the cement surface from acid erosion, setting it apart from conventional GICs. He also presented data which confirmedEquia’s suitability as a modern restorative material for the class II fillings due to the positive effect the coating has on the GIC physical properties. Lohbauer expressly advised the audience to follow the manufacturer instructions meticulously in relation to the coating and to consider the indications in order to achieve best results.

Promising results with far-reaching consequences

The symposium continued with ProfessorSevilGurgan (Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey), who has worked for more than 30 years at Hacettepe University’s Faculty of Dentistry. Professor Gurgan presented the latest results of her team’s research on Equia, a four-year randomised clinical trial to evaluate the clinical performance of a glass ionomer restorative system, and showed Equia’s capabilities in class I and II restorations in comparison with composites over a period of four years. The research included 140 lesions, which were restored either with Equia or the comparable material, Gradia Direct Posterior (GC) in combination with G-Bond (GC). The results after 48 months revealed that in none of the remaining 126 restorations at this point in time (76 class I and 50 class II) had any reduction in performance in terms of retention, secondary caries, surface structure, postoperative sensitivity and colour stability. Only moderately significant differences compared with the baseline level were found in relation to marginal integrity and discolouration for both restorative materials. Gurgan concluded from these results that both materials have similar clinical performance after 48 months, which makes them appropriate filling alternatives for the examined Class I and II cavities.

Practice-based research yields positive outcomes

Dr Thomas Klinke (University of Greifswald, Germany) then added to Gurgan’s impressive trial results the findings of a unique study. As the title, ‘Equia - RCT in the field: longevity after 24 months’ suggests, Klinke presented 24-month results of a prospective, randomised, double-blind clinical trial of Equia that will run for five years (Prof Reiner Biffar, Dr Thomas Klinke, Centre for Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Greifswald). The research is characterised by its unique study design, which was conceived for observation in the field and is intended to reflect real everyday life in practice. A total of 3,194 dentists were invited to do eight one or two stage fillings in their practices using Equia Fil or Fuji IX Fast (GC) based on the manufacturer’s instructions. The survival rate for Equia was 99.5% after 12 months and 96.3% after 24 months. All the fillings (n=644) were evaluated as clinically positive and no significant differences were determined in terms of longevity between the two materials. The findings show good clinical performance for both materials throughout the period of research, while Klinke says the ongoing follow-ups confirm the current results. Klinke pointed out that to achieve the ideal durability of a restoration, the manufacturer’s indications should always be followed to the letter.

Paving the way for modern dentistry

The sheer number of findings and trial results presented at the symposium demonstrated that glass ionomer-based systems such as Equia have good clinical performance over the periods examined (up to 48 months). It also underlined the potential of glass ionomers combined with composites for restorative therapy. In summary, it is clear that the evolution of restorative materials continuesand innovations such as glass ionomer-based Equia benefit not only from the advantages of GIC and composites, but pave the way to the future of modern dental treatment.

Please visit our YouTube channel ( to view video footage of the symposium.

ENDS

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