Kerr Products Provide Advantages in Clinical Applications

In making final impressions for indirect restorative procedures, “soft tissue can sometimes be very difficult to manage, particularly when margin placement is at the level of the tissue,” says Robert A. Lowe, DDS, a private practitioner in Charlotte, NC. “Achieving a clinically acceptable impression is dependent on being able to control both saliva and blood and deflect or retract the tissue so that the impression materials can flow readily around the margins. You need to capture not only the margin itself, but also half a millimeter of tooth or root surface apical to that margin, so that the dental technician when trimming the dies has an accurate representation of the emergence profile or angle of the root or tooth as it continues into the restoration you are fabricating.”

According to Lowe, the choice of product for soft-tissue management depends on the clinical need of the particular moment. “Both Hemostasyl^™ and Expasyl^® are site-specific—they are really partner products. If you need to move the tissue bodily, eliminate bleeding and sulcular fluid, Expasyl is the choice. If you don’t need to move the tissue, but just control the bleeding, Hemostasyl is the one. Both of those products have an advantage over most astringent materials, which are more difficult to localize and can cause patient discomfort.”

James Lobsenz, Product Manager, says, “We feel it’s important to differentiate between Hemostasyl (our hemostatic agent) and Expasyl (our gingival retraction product). We provide very specific indications for when each product is appropriate, while competitor products falls short because they can’t do it all, as they claim.

“Our products are extremely effective, relying not just on the astringent itself, but also on the mechanical action of the material,” Lobsenz continues. “They are both considerably thicker than other products on the market and less likely to interfere with other materials. Plus, they are both brightly colored, which gives the dentist a very important visual cue to know that all the materials have been rinsed away.”

Education on the use of these products is very important, Lobsenz says. “We have some excellent tissue management and educational modules at Kerr University, which is available at kerrdental.com. It offers tips for making the products more effective. In addition, we have a very experienced sales force that understands the clinical value of Expasyl and Hemostasyl and can explain the proper use and best clinical application for each.”

As Lowe explains, there’s still considerable misunderstanding about soft-tissue management. “For example, people think there’s no need to manage soft tissue to take a digital impression—and that’s entirely false. You still have to control bleeding, saliva, and retract the tissues so the optical scanner or camera can see the margin accurately.

“Another example is that people are under the impression that with a laser or electrosurge, you always get 100% hemostasis and a bloodless field. However, in troughing procedures, you can get residual bleeding, especially when tissues are chronically inflamed. I find tissue management products to be indispensible for control in these cases.”

“We believe this category will grow significantly in importance,” Lobsenz says. “We’re going to continue to provide products that offer predictable results, reduce procedural time, minimize the possibility of patient trauma, and meet specific clinical requirements—especially as those technologies change the way dentists practice.”

Kerr Corporation
1717 West Collins, Orange, CA 92867
(800) 537-7123
https://www.kerrdental.com