The Success of dental surgery depends not only on the surgical procedure itself, but also on the post-operative wound care, which can reduce pain, accelerate healing and lower the risk of infection.
The literature tells us dry socket occurs at a rate of 3.8% and 13.2% in smokers, where the act of inhaling adds to the complications of nicotine. (1) Typically, after surgery, patients are instructed to bite down on gauze for an hour to apply direct pressure to achieve haemostasis. Removing the gauze early disturbs the blood clot. Even after gauze removal, the extraction wound is directly exposed to the oral environment, where it faces challenges such as excessive fluid consumption, mouth rinsing and smoking, all of which can dislodge the blood clot.
ORA-AID SELF-ADHERING WOUND PROTECTION.
Ora-Aid is shown to accelerate healing and reduce post-operative pain and discomfort.
The lower layer has a cellulose derived material on its surface, which enables the Ora-Aid dressing to self adhere. Each Ora-Aid can be easily trimmed to match the defect shape and size and is easy to apply. When used in this way Ora-Aid will protects the wound for several hours.
Drs familiar with the benefits of Ora-Aid have extended its protective benefits by prolonging the application time using various methods, as illustrated in the following examples.
–Ora-Aid fixation with over sutures.
Extended application of Ora-Aid can be achieved by using a sling-type suture over the Ora-Aid as shown.
–Ora-Aid fixation with direct sutures.
In this case, all four corners of the Ora-Aid were sutured, treating the Ora-Aid like an external barrier membrane. A CBCT taken at 14/52 revealed a stable site with good bone formation.
–Fixation of Ora-Aid with flowable composite to prolong the wound protection. Two cases.
Case 1 – Extraction of tooth 45.
An appropriate size of Ora-Aid was cut and applied to the socket surface, extending to the buccal side. Next, flow resin was applied over the adjacent teeth and light cured to form a small occlusal surface. Care must be taken to ensure the resin does not have sharp edges. Remove any and light cure for a further 1 minute. This method slows immediate haemostasis without any requirement for biting on gauze. Patient response is very positive with minimal discomfort during recovery. When the patient returned for a check-up, the Ora-Aid remained present under the flowable resin.
Case 2 – Crown Lengthening.
This patient presented with serious wear on four mandibular incisors and the left mandibular molar and requested treatment to improve aesthetics. After crown lengthening on the mandibular interiors, a large Ora-Aid was cut into a comb shape and applied to the interdental and gingival wounds. Next, flow resin was used to cover the interdental spaces and adjacent teeth and light cured to provide immediate haemostasis. When the patient returned at 9 days post op, there was no bleeding, and the Ora-Aid could still be seen under the resin. The Patient experienced no discomfort during recovery, and the teeth did not prove to be sensitive.
More information about Ora-Aid can be found HERE
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Article adapted from Dr Wen, Application of Ora-Aid in Dental Surgical Wounds. Feb 2025.
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