Te – Econom Plus is a hybrid composite material available fro Ivoclar Vivadent.
- Hybrid light cure composite
- Available as Intro kit
- Composite 4gms x 4 nos
- Te-Econom Bond 5gms
- Te-Eco Etch 2gms
- Te-Eco flow syringes are also sold separately.
Pros:
- Affordable line of composites from Ivoclar.
- Hybrid composite with mean particle size of 850 nm.
- Composite is composed of Bis-GMA, Urethrane dimethacrylate & TEGDMA.
- Bond consists of HEMA & monomehtacrylates. It is a single component bond and used in the total-etch technique.
- Eco-etch is 25-50% phosphoric acid.
- It can be light cured at wavelength 400-500 nm for 20 secs or at 1000 nm for 10 seconds.
- It needs to be stored between 2-28° C. This is nearly room temperature.
Cons:
- It can only be cured to a depth of 2 mm and hence have to sculpted in layers of 2 mm.
- Te-Econom Plus composite has limited range of shades of A1, A2, A3, A3.5, B2 & C3. With a translucency between dentin and enamel is ideal as posterior tooth restorations. Te-Econom flow is available in A2 and A3 shades.
My review of Te-Econom Plus
I have been using Te-Econom Plus for the past 2-3 years and was introduced to it because of my use of Tetric N Ceram composites. I was basically looking for an affordable composite for certain situations, like as core build up material.
It is not an excellent composite material. But is it worth for the purpose I use it as a core build up material? Yes.
It can be tacky to use. The best way to handle it is in thin layers not exceeding 2 mm. Layering the walls with a flowable composite also helps in reducing the tackiness and improving packability. If you have used other ‘cheaper’ options like Spectrum Composite from Dentsply, you would find this a better option for sure.
Of course, bulkfill materials will give a far superior result both in handling as well as time taken to complete the restoration but bulkfills can be a expensive.
Do let me know in the comments below what your experience was after using Te-Econom Plus or if you have any question.