Brush&Bond FAQ

AA-00278


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BRUSH&BOND® 

The brush is too big for some of my micro-preparations. What can I do to access them?

 

You’ve got several options for small or difficult-to-access cavity preps:

1)     Parkell sells our Mini/Endo B&B Activator Brushes separately (Stock No. S287) to solve exactly this problem. They’re much narrower than the standard Activator MicroBrushes, and longer as well. The narrow diameter allows them to get into the tiniest pedo preps, or the hardest-to-reach Class 3’s. In addition, the added length makes these brushes perfect for post holes. They allow you to use Brush&Bond as your bonding agent under any post and core, regardless of whether the resin is light-cured, dual-cured or self-cured.

2)     If you don’t have the Mini/Endo B&B Activator Brushes, there’s another way to access small preps. Once you’ve stirred the liquid with our special activator brush, you can apply it with something smaller -- a sponge pledget, an endo Microbrush® or even a perio probe. So if your super-small prep won’t allow the B&B brush head to enter, simply apply the activated liquid with something else. Just make sure you activate the liquid with our brush FIRST, because that’s where the self-cure initiator chemistry is!

 

I’ve read that some self-etchers won’t bond self-cure or dual-cure composites or core resins. Can I use Brush&Bond® to bond these materials?

 

Absolutely! Though many other self-etch bonding agents have problems bonding core materials and dual-cure resin cements, Brush&Bond and Touch&Bond™ are different. They bond beautifully to ALL COMPOSITES, whether they’re light-cure, self-cure or dual-cure.

 

Sometimes I run out of brushes first, and sometimes I run out of liquid. Why does this happen, and can I order Brush&Bond’s special brushes or liquid separately?

 

The B&B package contains 100 Activator Brushes and 125 drops of liquid. So if you only activate one drop per brush at a time, you’ll run out of brushes first, and have liquid left over. However, if you activate two or three drops per brush at a time, you’ll run out of liquid first, and have brushes left over. In either case, you can always order replacement brushes or liquid.

 

Can I use Brush&Bond for vital pulp caps?

 

Pulp capping is not one of the FDA-listed applications for Brush&Bond. Parkell’s Amalgambond® or C&B-Metabond® have a long history of success in this application, and would be much better choices for capping vital, non-carious exposures.

 

I sometimes see gingival blanching where Brush&Bond contacts tissue. Is this something I should be concerned about?

 

No. The blanching is not painful, and it doesn’t damage the tissue. Normal color should return within a few hours after application.


 

I want to use the same B&B brush to bond several restorations. How do I do that?

 

The brush contains enough activator to activate up to three drops of Brush&Bond liquid AT ONE TIME. Once it’s been dipped into the B&B liquid, it’s no longer an activator. So, to avoid waste and save time when you have multiple restorations, it makes sense to prep all the teeth first. Then, isolate the teeth and activate up to three drops of B&B in the plastic well at once. You can then apply the liquid to all the isolated teeth at the same time.

 

How long does the activated B&B liquid remain active?

 

The liquid remains active for 3 minutes. You may want to cover the well with a lid or paper pad to slow down the evaporation of the solvent.

 

When I use Brush&Bond, I prefer to etch enamel with phosphoric acid. What happens if I get acid on the dentin?

 

Don’t worry. Brush&Bond’s performance on acid-etched dentin or enamel is virtually identical to that on unetched tooth tissues. There will be no increase in post-op sensitivity, and no decrease in bond strength. As with all bonding agents, just remember to thoroughly rinse off the phosphoric acid with water before the bonding agent is applied, and lightly air dry.

 

Can I use Brush&Bond under amalgam restorations?

 

Yes, but it depends on what you hope to achieve with it. Brush&Bond won’t light cure under an amalgam, so while it will work as a liner or a desensitizer, it won’t increase the amalgam’s retention like Amalgambond will. However, if your aim is solely to seal the tooth and prevent post-op sensitivity, Brush&Bond will perform admirably under amalgam.

 

Can I use Brush&Bond with an adhesive resin cement like Panavia®, TotalBond® or C&B-Metabond®, to eliminate etching or the need for the self-etching primer, or even before a self-etching resin cement?

 

If you’re bonding to dentin and cut enamel, Brush&Bond can be used in place of separate etching or the self-etching primer with most adhesive resin cements, or even before self-etching resin cements as well.

 

B&B won’t negatively affect the performance of Parkell’s TotalBond, and it can be used in place of Parkell’s SEcure Primer when using SEcure Resin Cement. In addition, it may actually improve Panavia’s bond and post-op desensitization.

 

However, when Parkell’s C&B-Metabond is used with its own proprietary etchants, it generates significantly better adhesion than ANY cement on the planet. Although Brush&Bond may be used with C&B-Metabond for normal adhesive cementation, particularly demanding cases would probably be better served using C&B-Metabond with its own special etchants.