The Japanese dental materials and equipment manufacturer, Shofu Inc., awarded Akimasa Tsujimoto, associate professor of Operative Dentistry, an $18,000 grant for his project, “Shear Bond Strength of Self-adhesive Resin Cement with and without Universal Adhesive to Enamel, Dentin, Lithium Disilicate and Zirconia.” The project will compare the bonding performance of a self-adhesive resin luting cement which can be used with or without a universal adhesive to various substrates, including enamel or dentin, or other restorative materials such as lithium disilicate and zirconia. The aim is to determine whether this resin luting cement can improve the durability of dental esthetic restorations.

Rather than the use of a conventional resin luting cement with primer system, combined use of self-adhesive resin luting cement and universal adhesive can be more versatile option in the clinical situation. Recently, many dental manufacturers have developed this kind of self-adhesive resin luting cement which can be used with or without universal adhesive or primer. Tsujimoto’s project will evaluate the bonding performance of the resin luting cements when used with either option when it is applied to the various substrates. The ultimate aim is to simplify the cementing protocols and improve the long-term success of dental esthetic restorations.

This project is an excellent example of how the college partners with industry to meet the needs of industry while improving the science behind our clinical practices.