As a dentist, I am the one who is usually dispensing advice on dental products. During one recent office visit, however, a patient had some advice for me. "Give this a try," she said.
My office is in Plymouth Meeting, PA, which is also the home of Premier Dental. My patient, Theresa, works as a designer for Premier and suggested I give their product, Traxodent, a try.
Try It, You'll Like It
I was unaware of Traxodent before that discussion, but the first time I used it, I immediately saw the benefits. Previously, I used gingival retraction cord soaked in a hemostatic gel, which is a practice that is disliked by every dentist I know.
Packing cord is typically a time-consuming, frustrating procedure that can be painful for the patient. After packing cord, a waiting time of several minutes is required to allow adequate retraction and hemostasis. With Traxodent, however, there is essentially no learning curve. My dental assistants love Traxodent since it avoids cord cutting or soaking.
Quick and Painless
Traxodent is fast, effective, and painless. It takes only a few seconds to express the paste around the teeth and place the compression cap over them. The patient is then instructed to bite down for 2 minutes, after which the air/water syringe is used to rinse and dry the teeth, and it is then ready for an impression.
Patients who have previously experienced a gingival retraction cord respond very favorably because Traxodent is quick and completely painless. I have used Traxodent in several other clinical situations for tissue retraction and hemostasis, including restorations at the gingival margin where bleeding interferes with the ability to maintain a dry field while placing a restoration. Traxodent provides excellent hemostasis in these cases.
I also have used Traxodent during crown buildup procedures. After removing the old restoration, interproximal bleeding commonly occurs. I place Traxodent, followed by a cotton pellet, and after 2 minutes, this process yields a completely dry field with well- exposed tooth margins.
A Better Patient Experience
Traxodent is one of the best products to come down the pike in years. We use it virtually every day. It is a great addition to my dental toolbox. It has made everyone's life easier "most notably the patient's " which is what it is all about.
