Etching The Right Amount

The etching process should be intense but limited. An etchant should stay exactly in the position it is placed, but still be able to flow into fissures. Also, while the etchant should effectively cover the tooth structure, rinsing it away should be quick, clean, and easy.Ultradent’s Ultra-Etch™ etchant satisfies these seemingly contradictory requirements. It is just thick enough to prevent it from running off vertical surfaces (Fig. 1, Fig. 2), but able to penetrate even the smallest fissures. After examining an etched tooth structure under a microscope, we have found that Ultra-Etch etchant rinses away very cleanly—it leaves virtually no residue behind.

When I want to place Ultra-Etch etchant in a small point or thin line, I apply it directly from a prefilled syringe equipped with our Blue Micro™ tip, which provides pinpoint precision (Fig. 3). When etching flat surfaces, I use the Inspiral™ Brush tip. This tip allows for easy application to flat surfaces.

• 35% phosphoric acid gel etch used with Blue Micro or Inspiral Brush tips
• Thixotropic formula that places precisely and rinses cleanly – leaves no residue
• Penetrates smallest fissures but won’t migrate on a vertical surface
• Self-limiting in its depth of etch to prevent over etching