Affinity™ PVS Materials and Quad-Tray® Xtreme™ Team Up to Deliver Precise Impressions
Des Moines, Iowa, private practitioner Robert C. Margeas, DDS, uses a variety of impression materials, but says the family of products he uses most for this purpose are from Clinician’s Choice. “I’ve been using their impression products for about 16 to 17 years, and I trust and recommend them because I’ve had good results with them over such a long period of time,” Margeas attests.
This includes the entire Affinity™ PVS impression line, he says, especially the Light Body HF material he syringes around preparations and the InFlex tray material he places in the impression tray. His tray of choice is most often the Quad-Tray® Xtreme™, Clinician’s Choice’s metal tray designed to eliminate impression distortion and flexing.
Although many impression materials are described as hydrophilic, it is Margeas’ opinion that this is a misnomer for a class of materials that do not adapt well to moisture or blood. To characterize the flowability of the Affinity Light Body material he favors, he instead uses the term “hydroactive.” This, he says, is more in line with the manufacturer’s description of Affinity’s third-generation chemistry that features a hydroactive surfactant grafted to a branched resin to enable consistent distribution of surfactant throughout the material for enhanced accuracy.
“Affinity Light Body comes in high flow, regular flow, and Xtra Light viscosities. I especially like the high flow because it allows me to easily inject the material over the preparation, and it effectively flows down into the sulcus to get an accurate impression,” Margeas says, adding that he also likes how the Light Body and tray materials seamlessly blend together to maximize accuracy. “Affinity InFlex tray material covers the preparation but, unlike many other tray materials, doesn’t displace the light body, which is more accurate than the heavy body material.”
Additionally, he points out that another advantage of Affinity is that it allows ample working time—up to 1:45 minutes—but comes in different specific set times, including fast set, which he uses for single units, and regular set for other indications. In either case, he notes, once the material is placed intraorally, it sets in a specific amount of time—eg, less than 3 minutes.
The InFlex tray material, Margeas explains, is designed to be used in the rigid metal Quad-Tray because it is a highly rigid tray material. “I typically use the disposable metal, dual-arch Quad-Tray Xtreme with InFlex because, unlike with plastic trays, the Quad-Tray Xtreme tray cannot be distorted during insertion into the patient’s mouth.” According to the manufacturer, the tray’s construction is memory-free to avoid flexing or rebounding.
Clinician’s Choice offers several different versions of Quad-Trays for use in different types of cases, Margeas says. These include the Quad-Tray XL Full Quadrant Metal Dual-Arch Impression Tray and Anterior Quad-Tray X2, but he says he uses the Quad-Tray Xtreme most often and for all of his single-crown cases. “I especially like its low sidewall because the impression material goes around it and forms a nice wall, ensuring the impression won’t flex or distort.”
Margeas summarizes the material properties he believes he and his colleagues care about most: “It’s got a beautiful flow, so it completely covers my preparation and margins. It’s got great tear strength and superior rigidity, and its vivid colors make it easy to read the margins,” he asserts.
These attributes, he concludes, add up to predictable results that support his practice and meet his patients’ expectations. “I’ve used these products for all these years because they are reliable, fit in with my practice style, and help me provide the outcomes I want for my patients. I have no problems with the restorations. They aren’t tight or high, and crowns fit extremely well with minimal adjustment on contact and occlusion.”
Clinician’s Choice Dental Products
Brookfield, CT 06804
800-265-3444
clinicianschoice.com
