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by Dr Sarah Edney, Power Dental Practice, Hurstville, NSW
Fuji IX is a glass ionomer restorative material. It’s self-curing and the product I use when speed is of the essence.
What’s good about it
I visit aged-care facilities where I see a lot of broken teeth and root decay. Most of the work is salvaging and trying to keep things stable. As older patients can have difficulty in keeping their mouth open for long periods, I need to work quickly. I bring a suitcase full of everything I need and Fuji IX is always a part of my inventory.
Fuji IX doesn’t take a lot of preparation or require etch and bond. It’s a self-curing material that sets in about three minutes once it has been mixed. It’s not super aesthetic but I’m not colour matching. It’s a workhorse restorative that gets the job done.
We also have quite a large older patient base in the practice. With them, I see a lot of decay on the root and composite doesn’t have a great bonding in that situation, so I use Fuji IX. It bonds well to the crystal structure of the enamel. With crowns, it works nicely when the area is clean and dry but is also more forgiving when moisture control isn’t ideal. It can also be used to build up cores or as a base in cavities that are quite deep. It has good strength when used as a core in posterior teeth that are taking a lot of force.
What’s not so good
It comes in a single capsule and needs an amalgamator to mix it. Obviously, there’s only a set amount in each capsule so larger restorations require a second capsule mixed before the first capsule sets. In terms of polishing and colour matching, Fuji IX doesn’t have as nice aesthetic qualities as other materials.
