Precise dental impressions are essential for numerous dental procedures, including crowns, bridges, dentures, and orthodontic treatments. The substance utilised to take these impressions is crucial to ensure the treatment is effective. This material, called “impression material,” helps capture the exact shape and details of a patient’s teeth, gums, and the areas around them.
This blog will examine the various kinds of impression materials, their applications, and the advantages they provide to dental offices.
Impression Material
Impression material is the product used to take a mould of the patient’s dentition and gums. The mould, therefore, is a detailed negative imprint of the oral structures. The technicians use this impression to prepare accurate restorations like crowns, bridges, false teeth, and orthodontic appliances.
The quality and accuracy of the impression will be helpful for most dental procedures. Thus, it is essential to choose an appropriate impression material.
Types of Impression Materials
There are many types of impression materials available for the dentist in practice today. All have their different properties, advantages, and ideally suited applications. The main types include:
1. Alginate Impression Material
Alginate is the most commonly used impression material in dentistry. It is straightforward to work with, economically viable, and very commonly available. It is, in fact, a hydrocolloid that gels in the presence of water. Such impression materials are used very often for opening impressions, orthodontic models, and study casts.
Advantages:
- Easy to mix and apply
- Shrinkage time
- Cheap.
Disadvantages:
- Does not describe well to give a fine impression
- Highly prone to distortion if it is not poured
Alginate is mainly used for a light impression wherein the detail work could be more paramount.
2. Polyvinyl Siloxane (PVS) Impression Material
PVS is one of the widespread materials found in the preparation of very high-detail, very accurate impressions. Being an elastomeric type of material, it has the flexibility and elasticity of it once it is returned to its original shape once it is removed from the mouth. Thus, it is usually used when an impression should have fine detail, such as crowns, bridges, and implants.
Advantages
- It has very high accuracy and high reproduction of detail
- Good dimensional stability, that is, does not deform
- Storage for up to months before the mixture when poured
Disadvantages
- Costlier than alginate
- More complicated mix-up for beginners
PVS is ideal for capturing fine details in restorative and cosmetic dental procedures, ensuring a precise fit for dental restorations.
3. Polyether Impression Material
Another elastomeric impression material with excellent dimensional stability and accuracy is Polyether. This material is generally recommended in situations where moisture control becomes difficult due to its being highly hydrophilic compared to the rest of the materials. Thus, it can tolerate slight moisture in a wet atmosphere without losing the impression’s accuracy.
Advantages:
- Offers excellent detail reproduction with high dimensional stability
- The flow properties are suitable for detail recording
- It can be used acceptably in wet conditions
Disadvantages:
- Stiff and challenging to remove from the mouth
- Expensive compared to alginate
Polyether is used when the problem is the absence of moisture control; it is usually recommended where impressions of the subgingival surfaces or areas difficult to access are needed.
4. Polysulfide Impression Material
Polysulphide impression material. One of the earliest elastomers, while replaced mainly in modern dental practice by PVS and polyether, is still used for specific applications where there is sufficient flexibility and strength. Full-arch impressions are acceptable. It allows use in situations where otherwise it would be difficult to remove from the mouth without distortion.
Advantages:
- Flexibility and tear resistance.
- Compensation possible
- Working time,
- Suitable for total arch impressions
Disadvantages:
- It has a pungent odor and taste
- It polymerises more slowly than most
- It is less accurate than newer materials like PVS
5. Zinc Oxide Eugenol (ZOE) Impression Material
Zinc oxide eugenol is a hard impression material with an immense range of applications for recording edentulous arches. The material provides excellent detail reproduction and is used in most cases when dentures are being made. However, it is too stiff to be used in applying impressions over the teeth, as removal may provoke considerable pain.
Advantages
- Excellent accuracy for edentulous impressions
- Good stability after setting
Disadvantages
- Not elastic or comfortable for patients having teeth
- It may not be used with flexible or elastic impressions
Factors to Consider While Choosing Impression Material
Selecting the suitable impression material depends on various factors, including the type of procedure, the need for detail, patient comfort, and the environment in which the impression is being taken. Here are some key considerations:
Accuracy: Procedural treatments such as crowns, bridges, and implants must be accurate. PVS and polyether materials are better suited for this treatment.
Cost: The materials may be costly because their performance is pretty high. Dentists would expect that pricey materials are sold based on the accuracy level acquired in the process.
Patient Comfort: The materials, polyether and ZOE, are stiffer or otherwise really hard to remove, which would not be the most comfortable for a patient. PVS is flexible, which would offer a smoother experience.
Moisture Tolerance: If controlling moisture in this area would prove challenging, polyether hydrophilic properties can be helpful as an impression material.
Impression Material in Modern Dentistry
Impressions are the most significant characteristic of modern dental practice. Without proper impressions, crowns, bridges, and dentures cannot be fitted perfectly, which themselves make or break the cases of crowns, bridges, and dentures. The selection of the material used here decides both the success and the comfort of the patient under treatment.
Of course, dental technology’s development will lead to newer and better impression materials that are more accurate, comfortable, and efficient.
Conclusion
Impression material is an essential component in many dental procedures. Recently, there have been different types of impression materials, including alginate and PVS, polyether and polysulfide.
This would help a dentist choose the type of material to be used for specific patients and types of treatment. Crowns and bridges demand high-accuracy impressions, while preliminary simplified impressions are good enough for orthodontic models. Overall, a suitable impression material would ensure the success and satisfaction of both the dentist and the patient.
That would ensure better results while ensuring that the patient feels comfortable with such a process. To a dentist, this knowledge would include the properties and applications of each material.
