Tissue management and retraction technique combined with all-ceramic crowns: case reports.

The need to preserve the gingival health during impression making for laboratory fabricated prostheses has been emphasized in literature and clinical practice. This article presents the placement of all-ceramic crowns utilizing a relatively new soft tissue retraction material, a polymer, cut into 2 mm wide strips. The sponge-like texture of the material expands with moisture and exerts gentle pressure on the gingival tissue, effecting a retraction for impressions. The gingival tissue returns to its original position within 24 hours. The learning objective of this article is to share the experience and observations of this procedure and the materials utilized. Several case reports are presented to illustrate the clinical procedure and the results obtained.