| US 7,549,862 B2 | ||
| Process for the retraction of sulcus | ||
| Ralf Kollefrath, Oberriet (Switzerland); Stephan Lampl, Luchingen (Switzerland); and Dierk Lubbers, Altstatten (Switzerland) | ||
| Assigned to Coltene AG, Altstatten (Switzerland) | ||
| Filed on Mar. 14, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/724,093. | ||
| Application 11/724093 is a continuation of application No. 11/075031, filed on Mar. 08, 2005. | ||
| Application 11/075031 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/686195, filed on Mar. 15, 2004, abandoned. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0160952 A1, Jul. 12, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. A61C 5/14 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 433—136 [433/34] | 11 Claims |
| 1. A process for the retraction of sulcus comprising the steps of:
i. applying an elastomeric material, onto the vicinity of the sulcus at the boundary of a tooth and its adjacent gingiva,
which elastomeric material expands on its curing reaction;
ii. applying a cap onto said tooth, thereby forming a chamber over said elastomeric material, wherein said chamber comprises
as its walls the tooth, the cap and an outer section of said gingiva, the cap configured to extend over the gingiva and around
a periphery of the tooth to form an enclosed chamber, the chamber being arranged to limit the expansion of the elastomeric
material therein;
iii. retaining the cap in place sufficiently to permit the volume expansion of the elastomeric material to expand within the
chamber, and the further volumetric expansion of the elastomeric material to enter into the sulcus;
whereby the sulcus is retracted as a result of the curing process of the elastomeric material rather than by hydrostatic pressure
on the material.
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