Product Evaluation

Gingival retraction is often a necessary step during many restorative dental procedures. However, while retracting tissue is essential, some methods of retraction are uncomfortable for the patient and less than ideal for the clinician.

For example, Dr. DeLayne Lefevre wanted an alternative to retraction cord that’s “safe, easily dispensed, stays in place, and rinses completely.” Dr. Todd Sarubin was hoping for something better than his retraction paste that “takes 5 minutes to work, is tough to rinse off, tastes terrible, and sometimes requires a redo or touch up with the diode.”

Fortunately for both dentists, help has arrived in the form of ACTEON’s Expasyl Exact. This retraction paste ensures exceptionally accurate digital impres­sions by providing highly effective and atraumatic gingival retraction and fluid control. It also features a user- and patient-friendly 3-minute protocol.

Dr. Lefevre, who typically packs cord for anterior scans, discovered that “Expasyl Exact allows for clean margin images without tearing sulcular fibers. It remains in the sulcus and expands the tissue while pushing it out of the way and maintaining a dry area. It also rinses away completely without disturbing the tissue and defeating the material’s purpose.”

“I am impressed at how well it retracts but am even more impressed by the hemostatic effect,” said Dr. Sarubin. “It decreases chair time, there’s no bad taste, and with no staining, I use it even when placing composites.”

Dispensing, Delivery, and Cleanup

Appreciating the “much more user-friendly im­provements” like unit-dose packaging and compat­ibility with her existing composite guns, Dr. Kristen Mau “loves the very fine tip for ease of placement in deep preparations.” Dr. Bilyana Tesic also “likes the simplicity and efficiency of single-use capsules,” and Dr. Scott Goldstein said, “The longer tip was nice to work with,” although he felt the material was some­what sticky.

“It’s easy to dispense, requires little to no pressure to apply, and there’s no staining,” said Dr. Kapish Goyal, and Dr. Walter Davies said it “seems to inject into the sulcus better than similar products.” Praising the “easy placement and cleanup with very little waste and no gingival irritation or allergic reactions,” Dr. Sarubin suggested a self-dispensing syringe for “a little more control” when applying to multiple teeth.

Hemostasis and Retraction

With safe and comfortable retraction, Expasyl Exact allows for full access to the preparation limits and emergence profile. Its carefully calculated viscosity ensures accurate and pain-free sulcular opening without damaging the epithelial attachment, while its astringent effect dries the sulcus completely.

“It works remarkably to gently retract the gingiva and control any bleeding,” said Dr. David Fang. “The material works great in my hands,” noted Dr. Goyal, who found it particularly helpful for patients who dislike the taste of hemostatic liquid. “It opens the sulcus, keeps the epithelium intact, and eliminates the need for cord, thanks to efficient hemostasis and retraction,” he explained.

“Expasyl Exact delivers a dry, clean working field and can be added not just to the prep armamentarium, but [to] cemen­tation as well,” said Dr. Tesic. Dr. Charles Kattuah described hemostatic control of the gingival sulcus as “impressive,” and Dr. William Campbell said, “It is great at controlling gingival bleeding quickly and efficiently, and it stays where it’s placed.”

Impression Accuracy

Expasyl Exact “provided a clear visual margin of crown preparations prior to scanning” for Dr. Mau, and Dr. Davies said, “It allows for great intraoral scans that led to great fitting crowns.”

Describing “great margin visibility and perfectly fitting crowns,” Dr. Sarubin said, “It solves multiple issues in an easy and effective way.” Pleased to avoid aggres­sive cord retraction that would violate the attached gingiva in a No. 12 palatal cusp subgingival fracture with a deep prep, Dr. Fang achieved “a nice, dry field and an excellent impression” with Expasyl Exact.

With a “challenging patient,” Dr. Goyal said the extended capsule length “allowed me to reach the area and produce the desired retraction.” Dr. Lance Huthwaite said using Expasyl Exact “saved time achieving hemostasis and improved digital scanning results,” while Dr. Campbell said, “It increased efficiency from prep to impression.”

Calling Expasyl Exact “a lifesaver, especially when trying to scan the precious margins of the prepared tooth,” Dr. Tesic concluded, “It is fast acting, very gentle to the retracted tissue and epithelial attachment, and gentle enough for patients to tolerate without anesthetic.”

Overall Satisfaction

“Expasyl Exact gives me more options for different clinical situations and makes patients feel they’re part of new dentistry,” said Dr. Fang, while Dr. Mau noted, “Its use in place of traditional retraction cord saves time and is more pleasant for patients.”