,An alternative to cord, Access Edge offers an easy way to achieve gingival retraction that’s quick and pain-free on both sides of the chair,
,A good impression is key to a successful restoration. But nailing a good impression requires reliable retraction, and like most procedures in dentistry, there’s more than one way to get great results. While retraction cord has enjoyed decades as the gold standard for gingival displacement, it’s not without its challenges—among them pain for the patient and time wasted for the clinician. Luckily, there’s a better way., ,“Even if you’re really good at it, retraction cord is hard to nail just right,” said Dr. Marty Zase, a cosmetic dentist, author, and lecturer who practices in Colchester, CT. “The problem is that it’s so easy to push too hard on it and tear the epithelial attachment, which causes the gingiva to shrink and pull back. With Access Edge, you can’t do that.”, , ,
, ,“It’s one of the most wonderful products I have in my armamentarium, and I use it just about every single day.”,– Marty Zase, DMD, MAGD, AAACD, , ,A high-viscosity gingival retraction paste, Access Edge is designed to gently separate the gingiva from the tooth through a combination of kaolin clay and aluminum chloride, which work together to absorb blood and sulcus fluid, shrink the tissue, and stop the bleeding prior to impression-taking. After being injected subgingivally or packed around the tooth, the paste dries in 2 minutes and rinses off easily., ,“I do a lot of laser preparation around my gingival margins, very often on posterior teeth, which can cause bleeding and prevent the impression material from capturing the margin,” said Dr. Zase. “Using Access Edge following the laser ensures I’m going to have a clean impression and that my assistant will be able to see the margins when making temporaries.”, ,Oftentimes, Access Edge allows Dr. Zase to work without having to use a local anesthetic. “If I’m doing a crown on a root canal tooth, for example, I can just use some topical anesthetic on it,” he said, adding that Access Edge also flows more easily and washes off better than other pastes. “It’s one of the most wonderful products I have in my armamentarium, and I use it just about every single day.”, ,It’s a scenario that’s been played out hundreds of times: a patient leaves the office with temporaries, and when they return weeks later for their crown, tell you they were afraid to floss the area for fear of dislodging the temp., ,“It’s so common, we hear it all the time,” said Dr. Zase. “When that happens, the tissue is going to bleed as soon as you start trying things in. So, Access Edge goes on for 2 minutes, and then I can insert the crown., ,“It’s just such an easy thing to do, and on so many of my insertions I’m using Access Edge first. On all of my impressions I’m using Access Edge first. It’s just amazing, and it works—that’s the best part.”
