Effects of different retraction medicaments on gingival tissue

Objective: Exposure of the gingival sulcus and control of hemorrhage are prerequisites to the treatment of cervical lesions and improving the quality of impressions prior to fabricating indirect restorations. Gingival retraction cords saturated with different medicaments are widely used for this purpose. However, the long-term effects of the chemicals in gingival tissues are not clear. The purpose of this study was to compare the histopathologic effects of 2 different retraction solutions in gingival tissue. Methods and materials: In this in vivo study, a solution of 10% aluminum chloride and a solution of 15.5% ferric sulfate were used as retraction medicament in dogs. The saturated cords were allowed to remain in the gingival sulcus of the dogs for 3 minutes. After the removal of the cords, gingival biopsies were taken at 30 minutes, 24 hours, 7 days, and 12 days. For all specimens, histologic evaluation was performed by light microscopy to determine the degree of epithelial loss, alteration of the connective tissue, and inflammation. Results: Histopathologic examination of gingival tissue revealed that the ferric sulfate solution caused significant changes in gingival tissues at the beginning. However, the tissue returned to its normal histologic appearance at the end of day 12. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that the biologic effects of ferric sulfate solution are more satisfactory than aluminum chloride solution. However, both medicaments are reliable and can be used in gingival retraction. Keywords: aluminum chloride, ferric sulfate, gingival retraction cord, gingival retraction medicament