Maintain Tissue Shape on Implant Site

The following technique is something I discovered that works very well for maintaining the tissue shape on an implant site when lab work is being done to customize the impression abutment.

Technique to Maintain Tissue Shape

I have tried a number of materials to maintain tissue shape – some with success and some, not so much. Some materials will hold the tissue in place but can be hard to remove, or the material will distort upon removal. I discovered that simply placing an alginate plug into the abutment site works great.

I mixed up a looser mix than I normally would for an impression, this allowed me to get the mixture into a monojet syringe and express it into the site as soon as the provisional was removed. Once the material is set, it can easily be removed and replaced and will hold the tissue where it needs to be. I can now take my time fabricating and shaping the custom impression abutment without worrying that tissue will distort are start to bleed.

Mary Anne Salcetti, DDS, PC, Spear Visiting Faculty. [ www.maryannesalcettidds.com ]



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