I have it—you need it! VivaDent Aerosol Reduction Gel, Retraction Paste, TempOff Temporary Crown Remover
VivaDent Aerosol Reduction Gel
All too often a patient tells me that when they have a cleaning with an ultrasonic device it feels like they are going through a car wash with the windows open. Ivoclar has the perfect solution: VivaDent Aerosol Reduction Gel. This clever system is designed to provide significantly more visibility—up to 99% more—due to less aerosol (dependent on the amplitude of the scaler tip as per the manufacturer). The most obvious benefit would be a dryer patient, but this would also apply to the operator’s face mask and/or face shield. However, another major benefit is the reduction of water mist, thereby reducing the risk of spreading airborne diseases and cross-contamination.
This is an easy mix-in solution for those who use an external water supply. The starter kit comes with two reusable water bottles that have an odorless, BPA-free inner liner, as well as a sleeve of single-dose sachets that contain the ingredients: polyethylene oxide and glycerol. Mixing instructions are simple and easy to follow. One hint is that you can premix your solution and let it stand overnight. When it is ready to use, shake briefly and pour into your external water tank. Once done, you simply rinse the water tank with tap water. It is equally beneficial if your water tank also serves your air-driven or electric handpieces. VivaDent Aerosol Reduction Gel will benefit you, your staff, and your patients by providing better visualization and a healthier environment.
Retraction Paste
I, like many of my colleagues, do not like to pack retraction cord and not everyone has a soft-tissue diode laser. Even with a laser, there are times when it is not a viable situation for tissue retraction. That is why I rely on Voco’s Retraction Paste, which is an aluminum chloride-based astringent paste that is easily dispensed in preloaded, unit-dose capsules.
The biologically acceptable astringent nature of this material quite effectively widens and dries the sulcular areas, thereby allowing for an accurate impression of the preparation margins and helping to ensure a good seal of the restoration to the tooth. The capsule tip is quite narrow and smooth, so there is no concern about tearing thin gingival tissue or iatrogenically widening the sulcus. Each capsule has enough material to handle up to three preps, and the turquoise-colored paste flows into the sulcus quite easily and displaces any moisture, without having to exert a lot of pressure. Once placed, the viscosity increases, allowing the material to stay in place for about one to two minutes before rinsing and taking the impression or digital scan. This saves as much as 50% of the time it takes for conventional cord packing. Retraction Paste is a simple, hygienic solution to the often frustrating and difficult problem of packing retraction cord for exact margin impressions and will help provide longer-lasting restorations. That said, do not overlook the other areas where this can be helpful such as class II and V restorations in which the decay is subgingival.
TempOff Temporary Crown Remover
How many times have you tried to remove a temporary crown only to be frustrated by the hemostat or some type of rubber-tipped instrument slipping off the restoration? Using more pressure does not necessarily help, and in some cases, removes the provisional crown with ensuing discomfort to the patient and damage to the core buildup. I’ve often resorted to cutting off the temporary and then having to remake it as needed. This is not the case with the TempOff Temporary Crown Remover, designed by a dentist who understood the frustration we often feel.
The TempOff Temporary Crown Remover has a four-prong tip (it looks sharp but is not) that provides a firm, nonslip grip on the temporary to engage it more toward the incisal rather than at the gingival margin where the temporary material is thinnest and weakest. The result is greater efficiency with less force on the tooth itself. In most cases, you can reuse the temporary, as the instrument merely leaves a slight depression in the material. To facilitate the removal of the actual processed crown, a number of soft green cushions are provided to cover the end of the instrument so that you can safely remove the crown without damaging the porcelain. TempOff is a viable solution for removing provisional restorations.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the November/December 2024 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
