Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 4: Regular size OptraGate ® with lip retraction, before placement of bite blocks or salivary retraction system. Figs. 5, 6: Heliosit ® Orthodontic bracket cement dispenser. Placement on bracket pad. Fig. 9 Fig. 10 Fig. 7 Fig 7: Final adjustment of bracket, with a clear field and very “cooperative” bracket cement. Fig. 10: Curing cement to “lock” the brackets in place. Fig. 11 Fig. 8 Figs 8 & 9: Cordless bluePhase ® Style Ivoclar Vivadent curing light. Fig. 11: bluePhase ® Style for good curing effect. & 14). It was initially tried with hesitation, but once the office became familiar with the product the range of procedures expanded including trauma cases that demanded full tooth reconstruc-tion, surgical procedures in the anterior alveolar region of a patient who suffered trauma, and other surgeries involving implants. While placing brackets on the mandibular teeth of a patient, we solicited her opinion of the OptraGate. These were her words: “This system of lip retraction was easier than the conventional orthodontic retraction that included the incorporated suction, lip retraction and tongue retractor. Retraction was very gentle over the lips, like a gentle blanket.” 3 The OptraGate ® comes in a single sealed bag as a single use disposable unit (Fig. 2) and can be purchased in multiple units (regular, small, and junior) with mixed sizes. The second item presented is Heliosit ® (Figs. 5 & 6), a light-cured orthodontic bracket cement that has high translucency, and works with metal and clear brackets. 4 It is placed easily and gives the doctor or auxiliary the necessary time to correctly place the bracket in its desired position before light-curing it (Fig. 7). Our first impression of the material was that it appeared as a very light layer of cement on the pad of the bracket, without having to thin it out. After several brackets were placed, the clinical advantages became noticeable. Placement was easier as there was no “fighting” with a thicker mass of cement and cleaning the excess cement caused less distortion on the initial place-ment of the bracket (Figs. 7, 10, 11). 4 The assistants liked it as there was thinner and softer cement at placement and removal when re-bracketing was much easier. When used with clear brackets, the esthet-ics was better as the cement had a much higher translucency than the previous cement used. The problem was, would we able to replace our previous cement with this new cement? The answer was yes, and the order has already been placed. The third item is the Cordless bluePhase ® Style Ivoclar Vivadent curing light (Figs. 8 & 9). It is an LED light that was designed to make the curing of the cements in orthodontic bonding easier (Figs. 9, 10 & 11). Our assistants reported it as light, fast, good curing, and “it stays in the office”. It has been used for orthodontics, but it also is used as a curing light in all instances www.orthodontics.com September/October 2012 17
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society September-October 2012: Page 17
