Product Evaluation

VOCO

Retraction Paste

With a unique formula and innovative capsule and tip design, this paste encourages optimal retraction and hemostasis while drastically cutting procedure time 

While it’s well known that patients dread having dental impressions taken, the impression-taking process is not necessarily a dentist’s favorite task either. Under pressure to get an accurate impression the first time, Dr. Nicholas DeRobertis knows that he needs to adequately manage moisture and retraction to make this happen. One product that’s designed to do just that is VOCO’s Retraction Paste, which, according to Dr. DeRobertis, is “easy to use and wonderfully effective for indirect restorations and for providing a blood-free environment when direct resin restorations are required near the gingival sulcus.”

An astringent paste with aluminum chloride, Retraction Paste widens and dries the gingival sulcus to create ideal conditions for accurate digital and conventional impressions. An innovative capsule and tip encourage precise application which, along with 2-stage viscosity and easy cleanup, saves procedure time over other methods, according to VOCO.

Describing Retraction Paste as “nearly flawless,” Dr. DeRobertis found that it “provides an easy-to-use mechanism to obtain a clear, blood-free gingival sulcus,” and “alleviates much of the worry when performing both direct and indirect restorations.”

Dispensing, Handling, & Cleanup

With a customized capsule and a long, fine, flexible plastic tip, VOCO Retraction Paste is easy to apply without damaging the gingiva. The material easily flows out of the capsule and into the sulcus under low pressure with minimal extrusion force. A 2-stage viscosity further simplifies application; once placed, the viscosity increases to remain stable as the paste widens the sulcus. A bright turquoise-blue color maximizes visibility, and the paste is designed to rinse off easily after 1 to 2 minutes.

Calling Retraction Paste “easy to use and dispense,” Dr. Partha Mukherji said the “margins appeared well, and the paste rinsed off easily compared to other products.” Dr. Leo Huck called it “very easy to dispense and place,” Dr. Steven Dater said it “flows well and stays in place,” and Dr. Mitchell Pasenkoff suggested the paste could be firmer but was impressed with the ease of use and easy cleanup. “It washed away better and more easily than similar products without staining or creating bleeding,” shared Dr. Beth Snyder, while Dr. Sean Grady found it “challenging to clean off the hard and soft tissues prior to taking the final impression.”

Hemostasis, Retraction, & Impression Results

When performing adhesive dentistry at or near the gingival margin without a rubber dam, Dr. DeRobertis said, “A blood-free environment is crucial for bonding effectiveness and esthetics.” He discovered that VOCO Retraction Paste “successfully provides that carefree and clean (bloodless) environment.” Dr. Mukherji found it “comforting to see the margins with hardly any bleeding,” Dr. Elizabeth Spindel said it is “extremely effective at decreasing or eliminating gingival bleeding,” and Dr. Abraham Jaskiel agreed that “it controlled bleeding very quickly.” The paste stopped bleeding in the sulcus and “successfully retracted the tissue” for Dr. Pasenkoff, and Dr. Dater said it retracted better than his previous product. Noting that “the contrast between the product and surrounding tissues was great,” Dr. Grady found that hemostasis was unpredictable. “Hemostasis was achieved reliably and easily, and the paste helped to retract tissues, which allowed for the IOS to capture crown prep margins more effectively,” shared Dr. Adam Beno. When prepping a full-arch case without packing cord, Dr. Snyder said using Retraction Paste “allowed me to get the case done quickly, and I got an excellent impression.”

“It provides an easy-to-use mechanism to obtain a clear, blood-free gingival sulcus.”
—Nicholas DeRobertis, DMD; Westwood, NJ

Time Savings/Efficiency

To enhance efficiency, VOCO Retraction Paste can be used as a replacement for— or in conjunction with—retraction cord when cementing restorations, and when preparing Class II and V restorations. Having used only a cord technique prior to trying this product, Dr. Peter Schott said the paste “helped reduce time spent getting hemostasis and tissue retraction,” and Dr. Spindel said it “helped make impression taking easier.” For Dr. Beno, it “allowed for more efficient IOS impressions since hemostasis and some retraction are achieved in a single step.”

Overall Satisfaction

VOCO Retraction Paste is an “excellent product that helps control bleeding,” said Dr. Shari Mathew, and Dr. Pasenkoff called it “one of the better products out there.” Dr. Mukherji concluded, “This is definitely the retraction paste I will use moving forward.”

Takeaways

• Astringent paste with aluminum chloride encourages retraction and hemostasis
• Creates ideal conditions for accurate digital and conventional impressions
• Custom capsule and plastic tip ensure precise application without gingival damage 
• Two-stage viscosity simplifies application
• Paste is quick and easy to rinse off