Alginate Curable Dental Retraction Paste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental retraction methods, including retraction cords and pastes, face challenges such as difficulty in placement, time-consuming removal, bleeding, and limited biocompatibility, especially when dealing with the gingival sulcus, which affects the accuracy and efficiency of dental impressions.
Innovation Solution
A curable dental retraction composition comprising alginate and a solvent, without an initial crosslinker, that can be applied as a paste and set on demand with a crosslinker, providing mechanical retraction and easy removal with improved tensile strength and hydrophilicity, reducing bleeding and tissue damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If non-hardening retraction paste is used, then ease of placement is improved, but removal becomes time-consuming and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The paste undergoes a parameter change from soft and flowable to hardened state through setting reaction, enabling easy placement in initial state and easy removal after hardening. The material transforms its physical properties over time to resolve the contradiction between ease of placement and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The retraction paste undergoes a phase transition from a soft, removable state to a hardened, stable state. This phase change allows the material to be easily inserted initially, then firmly hold position, and finally be easily removed when set, resolving the time-loss issue.
2Ease of operation
If hardening material is used, then ease of removal is improved, but flowability into gingival sulcus deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The material's properties are dynamic rather than static. The paste starts with high flowability to adapt to the gingival sulcus, then progressively hardens to enable easy removal. This temporal evolution of properties resolves the contradiction between flowability and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The material undergoes parameter changes from soft and flowable to hardened over time. Initially, the paste flows easily into the sulcus, then sets to become easy to remove, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of removal.
3Force
If retraction cord is packed to achieve sufficient retraction, then retraction effectiveness is improved, but placement difficulty and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical packing of retraction cords is replaced with a chemical system where the paste sets and hardens to provide retraction force. This substitution eliminates the need for manual packing while maintaining effective retraction through the setting reaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The paste undergoes phase transition from liquid to solid state, generating expansion force during setting that provides effective retraction without requiring manual packing. This phase change delivers the necessary force while simplifying the application process.
4Force
If paste thickness is increased for sufficient retraction, then retraction effectiveness is improved, but ease of expression into sulcus deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The paste's viscosity and flowability parameters are optimized to allow easy expression despite sufficient thickness. The material maintains appropriate rheological properties during application to enable easy delivery while providing adequate volume for effective retraction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The curable retraction composition allows for easy placement and removal, reduces bleeding, and enhances the efficiency of dental impression-taking by providing a biocompatible and haemostatic material with improved mechanical properties, facilitating a safer and more time-efficient procedure.
Implementation Method 1
A curable dental retraction composition comprising an alginate and a solvent, with the proviso that essentially no crosslinker in an amount effective to start setting of the curable dental retraction paste is present
Implementation Method 2
according to the instruction of use, the viscosity of the composition might change when fluids like water, saliva or blood are absorbed
Implementation Method 3
facilitating a safer and more time-efficient procedure
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a curable dental retraction composition comprising alginate and a solvent, with the proviso that essentially no crosslinker in an amount effective to start setting of the curable dental retraction composition is present. The invention also relates to a container containing said composition and to a kit comprising two parts, wherein the first part comprises the curable dental retraction composition of the present invention and the second part comprises a crosslinker being able to start setting of the dental retraction composition.