ViscoStat: Controlling the Uncontrollable
There are some conditions wherein dentists continually deals as a challenge every single time and every single moment they do their dental treatment. It is unavoidable and truly difficult to contain or stop to happen. These are the natural biological reactions of our body as a human being. 
As dentists we always have to deal with saliva, blood, and sulcular fluid. These fluids continuously may result to difficulty of visibility, isolation and preventing bacterial contamination. Although, there are indeed a lot of ways to make this uncontrollable conditions controllable, these options will be based on what choices the dental practitioners will decide on. At the end of the day, the box stops with us. The best isolation in any dental procedures is still the use of the rubber dam. However, it is most of the time restricting on the field of work for the dentists and inconvenient to the patients. So, one of the best options to handle these oral fluids is chemical solutions. This is when good tissue management comes in.
Aluminum Chloride is one of the most popular way of controlling the oral fluids especially bleeding when it does occur. However, since it doesn’t achieve active hemostasis, just constriction of the cut blood vessels, after awhile when there’s pressure or new force introduced again to the area, the bleeding eventually occurs again. This is when ViscoStat 20% Ferric Sulfate is best used.
ViscoStat hemostatic is a 20% ferric sulfate equivalent solution with inert binding agents in a viscous, aqueous vehicle. It has a pH of -1.0 and contains patented, fumed silica to limit the acidic activity, making it kind to hard and soft tissue. ViscoStat’s viscous, non-drip formula achieves hemostasis efficiently. The Metal Dento-Infusor tip infuses the hemostatic agent into capillaries, forming a cork-like “plug,” then wipes coagulum away. Thoroughly rinsing ViscoStat is an important step in testing hemostasis while also creating a field for optimal bonding with no compromise in bond strength. Using Ultrapak Cord with ViscoStat are ideal for controlling fluids (blood and sulcular). Use a firm air/water spray to remove excess hemostatic solution. However, ViscoSta 20% Ferric Sulfate as stated requires proper handling and removal from the tooth surface prior to the application of restoration as this may cause stain espcially in direct restoration since it contains iron. The best way to remove ViscoStat 20% Ferric Sulfate is the use of Consepsis Scrub. The operative area should be cleaned proeprly by strong blast of water and scrubbing of the tooth surface with Consepsis Scrub. With proper application and removal of ViscoStat after hemostasis is achieved will result to the elimination of sulcular fluid contamination and active bleeding control that is needed for optimal bonding for your final restoration.
For those who doesn’t want the extra step to care for the removal of the ViscoStat solution, there’s is another optioned. As stated again, Aluminum Chloride is one of the most popular and long time solution used by many dentists to control these fluids. Ultradent has an alternative for ViscoStat Regular, it is ViscoStat Clear. ViscoStat Clear is 25% Aluminum Chloride. It is recommended for anterior restorations because it quickly eliminates minor bleeding without leaving any residue. The patented tissue-kind silica formula quickly stops minor bleeding without forming coagulum or leaving hemostatic residue adhered to the preparation, resulting in stain-free teeth and soft tissues, a feature especially critical in the “esthetic zone.” Additionally, unlike ferric sulfate-based hemostatic solutions, ViscoStat Clear does not interfere with bonding.
So, there you go, there is something indeed to control the uncontrollable that will make our lives easier as dentists, ViscoStat Regular for difficult to control bleeding and ViscoStat Clear for minor intraoral bleeding, and designed specifically for the esthetic zone.
