Rely X Unicem Universal Resin Cement is one of the latest and most efficient cements on the market. 3M has been a major player in the dental field for the innovation and quality of their products. They were one of the first to develop this type of new generation adhesive cement. The Rely X Unicem is specially formulated to be self-adherent and moisture-tolerant. Therefore, there is no need for separate etching, priming, and bonding steps as with the previous generation of composite cements. The best thing is that the cement can be used for almost any application. 3M does not recommend it for veneers due to the fact that it is more viscous than their Rely X Veneer cement. The company has told me that both cements are essentially the same otherwise.
I do a lot of bonding of inlays, onlays, and crowns in my practice. I’ve been using this cement for about two years. 3M’s universal Rely X Unicem has increased my efficiency by almost 50%. My efficiency has increased because patients no longer need to be anesthetized for the seating appointment, as long as the tooth can be cleaned. The bonding steps are by-passed and the cement can be applied directly to the clean tooth surface without any preparation. Since the tooth is only cleaned and cementation is more like cementing a full coverage restoration with traditional cement, I stopped using rubber dam isolation for most cases. I have not noticed any difference in sensitivity with the restorations compared with other composite cements. The cement is delivered in either an Aplicap Capsule for 1-2 unit restorations, or the Maxicap Capsule for 3-5 units. The Maxicap Capsules can be used for single-unit restorations, when more working time is needed. I prefer the capsule mixing technique because it provides easy and reproducible mixing without any human error.
Rely X Unicem is a dual cure composite cement. It comes in five shades: A1, A2, Universal, A3, Opaque, Translucent, and White Opaque. I usually let the cement set up naturally until it reaches a semisolid state. The excess is removed very easily at this point and the remainder is cured for 20 seconds. After the cement has fully cured the excess cement is extremely difficult to remove, so be sure to remove the excess from the contact areas. As a testament to its strength, I have used this cement to temporarily recement crowns with very little retention, and to my surprise they are still holding. I have used this cement for anything I would want to last long term. The cost of the cement may be more than other cements, however, the benefit and savings due to the increased efficiency and the ease of use is more than worth the extra cost.
Review Synopsis
Product
Rely X Unicem Universal Resin Cement
The Good
RelyX Unicem is a great universal cement with excellent strength properties. Clean up is easy and no need for extra traditional bonding steps.
The Bad
Difficult cement to remove from proximal contacts if completely cured. The cost of the product is higher compared to some of the other composite cements. Although the time saved to deliver the case, and no need for bonding agents, may make it more cost-effective.
The Bottom Line
I would recommend this cement for all your permanent cementing needs. It is very versatile and simple to use with predictable results.