What is required when placing a cord for gingival retraction?

When placing a cord for gingival retraction, adaptation to the tooth surface is crucial for several reasons. Proper adaptation ensures that the gingival retraction cord effectively displaces the gingiva, providing adequate access to the tooth preparation area for procedures like impressions or crown placement. This close adaptation aids in minimizing bleeding and maintaining a dry field, which are important for achieving accurate impressions and successful dental restorations.

Good adaptation also helps to prevent the cord from slipping or becoming displaced during dental procedures. If the cord does not conform well to the contours of the tooth, it may fail to adequately hold back the gingival tissue, compromising the retraction and potentially leading to complications, such as inaccuracies in the final restoration fit or increased patient discomfort.

In contrast, minimal space between the tooth and cord, placement above the gingival margin, and the use of only one type of cord do not provide the same level of effectiveness in gingival retraction. While these factors might have their own importance in specific scenarios, they do not universally ensure the kind of proper retraction and isolation that adequate adaptation achieves.