Product Evaluation

ULTRADENT

Ultrapak

With a knitted design, Ultrapak retraction cord is flexible, easy to pack, and stays in place, providing rapid tissue displacement, detailed margins, and quality impressions

While using retraction cord may not be a dentist’s favorite task, “the reality is one needs to expose margins for great crown results,” Dr. Beth Snyder recently told DPS. “I pride myself in having great crown margins and great Class V margins that are smooth,” which is why she welcomes any tool that can help her achieve that goal, especially Ultradent’s Ultrapak retraction cord.

Featuring a knitted design that Ultradent calls “the original—and smallest—knitted cord,” Ultrapak is flexible, easy to pack, and stays in place. It is available with or without epinephrine and in a range of sizes. “I try to stick with the thinnest possible cord, typically the 000, because it doesn’t harm the tissue and offers good visibility,” explained Dr. Snyder. In those cases when tissue management is key—such as when performing digital scans or taking impressions for crowns and veneers—she declared, “Ultrapak retraction cord is a must for exposing the tooth. It is fantastic.”

Sizes, Colors, & Packaging

Ultrapak is available in 6 sizes—000, 00, 0, 1, 2, and 3—and its bright colors are “easily identifiable and visible,” according to Dr. Brenda Berkal, who said her go-to sizes are 00, 0, and 1. Dr. Anthony Glorioso appreciated the cord’s “ease of use and assortment of sizes” and said it “was great on an anterior case where I needed to use several different sizes of cord.” Calling the variety of sizes excellent, Dr. Bhavit Sheth remarked, “The colors are easy to visualize, and the color has great contrast to surrounding anatomy once in the sulcus.”

The user-friendly packaging includes a ruler printed on the label for easy measuring, a cutting blade built into the cap, and a plastic gate that prevents cord from falling into the bottle. “The measuring tool along the side of the container made measuring and cutting the correct size a lot easier,” said Dr. Sheth, and Dr. Antony DeSantis said, “The built-in cutting tool in the lid makes it easy to measure and create a clean cut.” Noting that the wider sizes allowed for better retraction, Dr. April Detar said the cord “did not fray as much” as others, although Dr. Berkal said she found an occasional loose fiber at the end of the cord.

Ease of Packing Cord

Made of 100% cotton, Ultrapak’s knitted design keeps the cord in place better than twisted or braided cord, according to Ultradent. “The cord is easy to place and holds its position well,” which “makes certain restorations easier and more efficient,” stated Dr. Brad Walden. “The knitting of this fiber holds hemostatic agent well without being over-saturated and leaking while packing,” commented Dr. Carolyn Shreck. “It also packs well without becoming unknitted, yet is still pliable enough to really contour.” In addition, Dr. Shreck said the cord “is removed easily without shredding or leaving fiber fragments behind.” Dr. Sheth said Ultrapak “made packing cord a bit easier,” and Dr. Anthony Vocaturo agreed that it “was easily placed on every case.” Although he found that Ultrapak “was easy to cut and measure and retracted well,” Dr. DeSantis had some difficulty keeping the cord in place while packing, while Dr. Snyder reported, “I like the general ease of packing. It stays together.”

“The cord performs excellent retraction of tissue, and hemostasis was similar to impregnated cord.”

Anthony Glorioso, DDS Aurora, IL

Retraction & Final Results

Ultrapak cord compresses upon packing, and then expands for optimal tissue displacement. “It did a great job of retracting tissue and keeping conditions clean,” noted Dr. Walden, who said it “kept the field clear and contributed to the success” of an anterior direct restorative case. “The cord performs excellent retraction of tissue, and hemostasis was similar to impregnated cord,” reported Dr. Glorioso. In a full-mouth case, Dr. Ashish Patel was delighted “to get proper retraction where tissue was irritated” and said that Ultrapak “helped me stop the bleeding and get clear margins on my scan and traditional impressions.” Noting that “the cord compresses to fi t in the sulcus and then seems to relax to provide more retraction,” Dr. Berkal concluded, “The knit cord displaces tissue very effectively. It gives me confidence that I will get clear impressions.” Although this review focused on Ultrapak, Dr. Snyder “had the pleasure of using Ultrapak E with epinephrine impregnated.” She said, “The tissue responds so well and is dry and ready for the impression in no time.”

Overall Satisfaction

Because Ultrapak is easy to measure, place, and remove, Dr. Shreck said it “reduced handling time,” which “improved procedure efficiency.” Dr. Snyder summarized, “I love the cord. It made my chairside experience better,” and Dr. Walden agreed that “the cord was great. It is easy to place and remove and kept the fi eld dry and clean.” Dr. Vocaturo concluded, “Ultrapak is an excellent product that takes the chore out of placing cord.”

Takeaways

• Available in 6 sizes and in bright colors for easy location and removal
• Knitted cord bends, packs easily, and stays in place
• Cord expands for optimal tissue displacement
• Allows the capture of detailed margins, resulting in quality impressions
• Steel blade in cap assists in a clean cut, and ruler printed on label makes measureing easy