A Platform for Success By: Barbara Brunner, Manager, Corporate Communications

Market trends are driven by customer need. In order to be the first to market in satisfying those needs (given the lead time from creation to production of any dental product with complex chemistry), Kerr emphasizes the creation of proprietary core technologies that serve as the platform upon which a succession of products can be quickly developed and brought to market. Point 4 and Point 4 Flowable, two of Kerr’s most important offerings of late – composites that established a new category of esthetics – are built on the proven science of earlier breakthroughs: Herculite, Prodigy and Prodigy Condensable. This formula for success has catapulted Kerr from an old-line manufacturing company, best known for its amalgams and casting machines, to an award-winning esthetics leader. To get a glimpse of Kerr’s importance in leading the dental community in product innovation, we need to go back 20 years and trace the evolution of its history.

It was the early 1980s and first-generation composites had already been popular for esthetic restorations for a number of years but were contraindicated for use in the posterior of the mouth. Al Kobashigawa, Senior Research Scientist for Kerr with 30 years in dental research, was given a mandate: Develop a process that would enhance composite to withstand stress-bearing placement. He and his team accomplished it by developing Kerr’s proprietary glass-grinding process. This technology led to the introduction of the first micro-hybrid composite, Herculite, in 1985. Now one of Kerr’s core technologies, this intellectual property became the first platform process that allowed Kerr to increase the fill in a number of products, not only composites but also cements, temporary materials and adhesives.

Herculite is still considered by many to be the industry standard by which all composites are compared. The first hybrid ever introduced with a sub-micron particle size, this product (and the two subsequent iterations that followed: Herculite XR and XRV) is one of the most recognized and respected brand names in the dental industry. “This initial salvo across the competition’s bow was a formidable one,” states Al, “because Herculite set the bar high. I’m proud of the fact that more than 15 years later, thousands of clinicians worldwide rely on Herculite as the staple in their esthetic practice.”

Al’s glass-filler technology was also key to the development of OptiBond, which upon its introduction in 1992 was the first filled, fluoride-releasing adhesive on the market. In 1991, there was considerable buzz about “total etch” bonding techniques that would remove the smear layer, but most capacity audiences sat aghast during presentations touting this dramatic change, convinced of the possible hazards such cavalier dentistry would present. But with a body of evidence from respected sources growing worldwide, removing the smear layer and sealing the dentin/enamel surface to create an acid-resistant, insoluble hybrid zone became accepted, and innovative adhesive systems began emerging that took advantage of this new thinking.

During this time, in a small building in Southern California, an elite group of Kerr scientists were putting the finishing touches on a dental adhesive that set in motion a bevy of copycats. Its name is OptiBond. What made the difference was ethanol and the addition of Al’s barium glass filler with an average particle size of 0.6 microns and a fill rate of 48%. Glass filler particles incorporate themselves into dentin tubules to create chemical and micromechanical bonds. Reinforcing the dentin tubules in this way means outstanding bond strengths and protection against microleakage for long-term stability. Thanks largely to the expertise of Daniel Ng, Research Scientist with 15 years in dental research, Kerr has continued to refine this technology, using it as a platform for OptiBond FL, OptiBond Solo, OptiBond Solo Plus and, most recently, for OptiBond Solo Plus Self Etch Primer – all products that have continued to set, then raise the bar for dental adhesives. Eleven years later, there are more than five major dental companies that have adopted the filled bonding agent approach, a testament to the clinical success of the OptiBond legacy. Keeping in mind the high level of concern for operatory asepsis, OptiBond Solo was also the first one-liquid single-dose (Unidose) bonding agent ever introduced. Based on the fact that several other prominent names in dental manufacturing have since then introduced their own version of a single-dose adhesive, it is apparent that Kerr’s innovative approach has been validated.

Chris Angeletakis, Corporate Scientist at Kerr with 20 years in dental research, has taken its composite technology one step further by drawing upon technology from the paint and coating industry. His research identified compounds that allow the glass filler in traditional composites to occupy space within the resin more efficiently. This technology was first used in creating Kerr’s packable posterior resin, Prodigy Condensable. Its filler loading of 80% realizes shrinkage well below 2%, addressing another popular trend among today’s resin restoratives.

Developing cutting-edge technologies in the lab, Dr. Chris Angeletakis prefers a low-tech means of getting to work. Chris headed up the team that created Point 4, the first composite to bridge the gap between hybrids and microfills.

Concurrent with this finding, Chris and his team found that the benefits derived from these compounds would work quite well with one of his group’s newest challenges: create a material that would, for the first time, actually bridge the gap between hybrids and microfills. Building on the science from Herculite and Prodigy and applying the dispersant technology developed for Prodigy Condensable, Kerr patented a method to grind filler to an average particle size of 0.4 microns. Today, Point 4 and Point 4 Flowable are Kerr’s flagship composites that offer the strength and durability of a hybrid with the luster of a microfill for dental restorations with enamel-like vitality and strength, actually creating a new category for esthetics.

“These dispersant and thixotropic compounds have allowed us to create unique offerings in the marketplace,” states Chris. “Combining our long history of glass-grinding technology with these innovations has allowed us to create a new class of esthetic filling materials.”

“Some manufacturers rely heavily on a marketing effort that often rewraps old technology again and again,” states Vice President of Research and Development, David Tobia, PhD. “Here at Kerr, we have tried very hard to hold off on a product introduction until that material has a new and unique list of benefits. This gives us credibility with the dental community and empowers our salespeople to showcase our products with pride and confidence.”

Considering the competitive landscape in dental materials today, there is increasing pressure to continue the “new” product onslaught. Balancing this with their primary goal of offering innovation to meet contemporary demands, the research and development team at Kerr strikes a position of confidence that they are up to the task.

Kerr Composite Innovations
1985	Herculite® The first hybrid composite material with a sub-micron average particle size of 0.6 microns.
1991	Herculite XRV™ Same average particle size and distribution of original Herculite with the widest variety of true Vita* shades for lifelike color matching. Is still the standard by which all composites are judged. Revolution® The first flowable composite material with a viscosity that flows easily into cavities, while providing controllable, slump-resistant handling.
1992	OptiBond® First 48%- filled, fluoride-releasing bonding system. Provides deep, reinforced dentin tags for unparalleled protection against microleakage.
1995	Prodigy® Same average particle size and distribution of original Herculite but with a slightly modified resin for a softer, creamier handling characteristic.
1996	Nexus™ A universal resin luting cement with a unique shading system indicated for all indirect applications, including posts, PFM crowns and bridges.
1997	OptiBond Solo The first 26%-filled, single-liquid adhesive system. Another Kerrfirst. Solo introduced Unidose convenience to fifth-generation bonding.
1998	Prodigy Condensable™ First low-shrinkage (1.8%), packable composite packaged in Unidose® delivery. Also, the first restorative to utilize rheological additives, a patented process that allows higher filler loading and a 5mm bulk cure.
1999	OptiBond Solo Plus™ First 15%-filled, single-liquid adhesive for direct and indirect bonding. Point 4™ The most innovative breakthrough in the history of composites, Point 4 bridges the gap between hybrids and microfills. Revolution Formula 2™ The same ideal viscosity as its predecessor, the first flowable, with more exacting Vita shade match.
2000	Nexus2™ The most complete and user-friendly resin luting system ever from Kerr. With the addition of Solo Plus and expanded shade offerings, Nexus2 meets every indirect bonding need.
2001	Point 4 Flowable™ Combines two of Kerr’s patented technologies – ultra small particle size and high loading – along with additional Vita shades for a unique flowable composite that integrates beauty with strength.

Kerr is a subsidiary of Sybron Dental Specialties whose family of companies – Ormco (orthodontics), SybronEndo (endodontics) and Metrex (infection control) – develops, manufactures and markets an entire spectrum of products to the dental profession worldwide. Kerr’s well-known subsidiaries are Pinnacle, KerrLab and Demetron. New to Kerr are Swiss-based Hawe Neos, well-known for engineering precision finishing products such as matrices, wedges and polishing instruments; and Orascoptic, the market leader for innovative flip-up and through-the-lens telescopic loupes that capitalize on the synergy of resolution and field width.