Use of an erbium laser in lieu of retraction cord: a modern technique.

The two-cord retraction technique is used for troughing around a crown to achieve biologic width. This technique can cause significant discomfort for the patient and offers several potential clinical disadvantages for the dentist, of which unpredictable tissue recession is the most significant. The clinical case presented in this article compares the use of the standard two-cord retraction technique with that of an 2,780 nm erbium-class dental laser to determine which method achieves an accurate, easily readable impression while respecting the biologic width. Using an erbium laser to achieve the trough prior to placing an indirect restoration results in little or no postoperative discomfort for the patient; in addition, the erbium laser reduces intraoperative complications related to tissue recession and patient discomfort while providing consistently accurate impressions.