Essix Retainers Flashcards
what are essix retainers and when are they made?
the fabrication of a temporary appliance
when your patient needs a short-term temporary anterior appliance on short notice- due to trauma, lost partial denture, planned extraction, implant placement etc
why do we made essix retainers?
Commercial laboratory processed temporary appliances require at least several days to construct, and often several weeks
EXAMPLE: Your patient is to have tooth #10 extracted, followed by implant placement, and needs an immediate, esthetic temporary appliance what are the advantages and disadvantages?
- Advantage: A vacuum formed temporary appliance is a convenient and efficient method to help your patient.
- Disadvantage: These are fragile and only meant for a short time (days to weeks); should be replaced by an interim partial denture until implant is ready to restore. Appliance only solves an esthetic concern; patient cannot eat with the appliance in
what are the materials needed to create essix retainer?
- stone cast
- 0.02 or 0.03 vacuum forming material
- vaseline
what must you do to the maxillary stone cast?
must turn into a horseshoe shape with no base where the hole in the palate is necessary for proper suction
steps of creating essix retainer
- wax up missing tooth (or use denture tooth)
- lubricate the cast
- clamp the 0.02 clear stent onto sliding middle member
- turn on heating rod
- move middle member up and under heating rod
- place lubricated model on lower member
- allow thermoplastic sheet to melt such that it sags 1/4 in below middle member
- turn on vacuum and slide middle member quickly down over cast
- allow to cool before removing cast and turning vacuum off
what do you do once the thermoplastic stent is cooled on the cast?
scribe out stent slightly below the CEJ using hand piece, round acrylic bur or scissors
composite is placed in the tooth slot where the tooth is missing in the patient