Glass hybrid restoratives are cheaper than composites

Jeremy Booth, Dental Tribune International

Thu. 6. May 2021

save

BERLIN, Germany: The international phase-down of dental amalgam through the widely ratified Minamata Convention on Mercury means that it is necessary to identify a suitable alternative. Glass hybrid and composites are currently the leading candidates for the replacement of dental amalgam. A recent study compared the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the two materials and found that glass hybrids showed similar efficacy and greater cost-effectiveness, meaning that the material could be preferable as a replacement for amalgam.

In the first study of its kind, researchers tested a modern glass hybrid material against an established composite for the restoration of two-surface occlusal–proximal cavities in molars in the load-bearing area. Patients in Croatia, Italy, Serbia and Turkey with two molars in need of restoration participated in the randomised controlled clinical trial. In each patient, one restoration was completed using glass hybrid material and the other was completed using composite material. The materials were subsequently compared in each of the 180 patients—a total of 360 molars—and patients were followed up for a period of three years and examined by blinded investigators using FDI World Dental Federation criteria.

A total of 21 patients (27 molars) required follow-up treatment owing to complications; however, the two materials were found to have limited differences in complication-free time. When comparing the cost-effectiveness of the two materials, the researchers concluded that composite was more expensive at limited clinical benefit.

“If you want to use composite in these cases, you will need to accept high additional costs”

“Using the data from each country, we can show that the initial treatment costs were much lower for glass hybrids than for composites in three of the four countries,” commented Dr Falk Schwendicke, lead author of the study and professor and head of oral diagnostics and health services at Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin. “Overall, we concluded that glass hybrid was more cost-effective than composite in this trial and that this was consistent in different settings. If you want to use composite in these cases, you will need to accept high additional costs,” he added.

Schwendicke explained that the researchers had expected that glass hybrids would be less costly; however, they did not expect that the difference in cost-effectiveness—also in the long term—would be so great. “I had expected possible efficacy differences to reduce the cost advantage of glass hybrids. However, this was not the case,” he said.

According to Schwendicke, the findings of the study indicate that glass hybrid is a promising alternative for dental reconstructions. “Glass hybrid seems a good alternative to composites in this indication, at least from a cost-effectiveness perspective,” he explained. “After all, the cost differences reflect the differences in applicability and effort—highly important factors. Dentists and patients should consider glass hybrid for posterior teeth, after evaluating other facts. In any case, the results show that glass hybrid is not to be discounted—the data shows that this is a material to consider, and one that can be counted on.”

The European Union has committed to completely or largely eliminating mercury-containing products such as dental amalgam by 2030. Schwendicke said that, although more data was needed to corroborate the study findings, they may prove helpful in identifying a suitable replacement. “Composites are a good material and have potential; however, they come with high demands when placing them. Glass hybrids are, by default, less technique-sensitive and can, in this way, be seen as more like amalgam. This trial now shows that they are indeed a good alternative to composites, and I am very happy that there is a choice of materials that dentists can use when amalgam is no longer available.”

The study, titled “Cost-effectiveness of glass hybrid versus composite in a multi-country randomized trial”, was published in the April 2021 issue of the Journal of Dentistry.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Vitamin D spray equally effective as capsules, study finds

LONDON, UK: All dentists know how important vitamin D is for healthy teeth and bones. In a new study, researchers from the University of Sheffield have ...

Cost-effectiveness of glass hybrids as restorative alternative proved for cervical lesions

BERLIN, Germany: A four-country randomised controlled clinical trial recently proved the clinical performance and superior cost-effectiveness of glass ...

Long-term restorative glass hybrids—eco-friendly and cost-effective evolution from GC

LUCERNE, Switzerland: EQUIA Forte and EQUIA Forte HT, the glass hybrids from GC, are the ideal partners for dentists who want to practise environmentally ...

Glass hybrids versus composite: Efficacy and cost-effectiveness in a multicentre clinical study

Through the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2013, the countries of the EU committed themselves to completely or largely eliminating mercury-containing ...

The stamp technique: Quick and effective restoration with glass hybrids

Glass hybrid restoratives offer a unique combination of advantages in dentistry. They are biocompatible and require neither the application of bonding ...

Finding an alternative to amalgam through glass hybrid technology

MADRID, Spain: The phase-down of amalgam is currently taking place, and many dental practitioners are still seeking a viable alternative. In this regard, ...

Not wellness but medical care: GBT as effective prevention in everyday practice

Some 2,500 years ago, Hippocrates already knew that prevention is more important than curative therapy. In the modern-day context, Benz stated that ...

Interview: “At age 37, CEREC advances the restorative capabilities of dentists as never before”

CEREC was launched in 1985 as the first complete CAD/CAM system for the fabrication of dental restorations. Astoundingly, nearly four decades later, CEREC ...

Study finds interdental brushes and rubber picks most effective devices

PISA, Italy: A newly published study from the University of Pisa has compared the efficacy of four different oral hygiene devices in reducing plaque and ...

Interview: “Glass hybrids […] are quite forgiving and tolerant regarding clinical challenges”

Prof. Ivana Miletić from the Department of Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry at the University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine in Croatia is one of...

Education

Live webinar
Fri. 26 April 2024
12:00 pm EST (New York)