Dental impression materials

Dental impression materials

It is interesting to know that impression materials have a quality that shows the most detailed features of the teeth and gums after formation

Oral and dental care is very important, but in situations such as car accidents, accidents, or lack of proper oral hygiene, teeth can be damaged and the likelihood of having to extract teeth is very high.

In these situations, most people are dissatisfied and upset with the empty space of their teeth and discuss this with their dentist and look for an alternative solution.

In dentistry, there are many solutions to replace lost or losing teeth such as root canals, such as bridges, dental crowns, and implants.

In this part, to replace teeth, we must have a complete view of the patient’s oral environment in the early stages! For this reason, an impression is taken of the patient’s teeth and gums.

The advantage of oral impression is that it provides the dentist with a mold similar to the patient’s gums, so that the manufactured tooth can be easily placed according to the specific shape of the gums and is completely similar to its natural model.

In these cases, proper and professional impression is very important, because the oral tissue is very soft and delicate, and any mistake in the impression will not place the tooth or cause problems such as scratches on the gums.

So as a result, impression is generally used in dentistry to diagnose the condition of the patient’s mouth, make a special tray and temporary crown, and sometimes impression is used to train laboratory technicians to make a cast of the patient’s jaw.

Types of Dental Impressions

Impressions in dentistry are done in two ways: digital and traditional. In the digital method, which is a completely advanced and up-to-date method, a small camera is used. The dentist inserts a wand-like object into the patient’s mouth and uses it to obtain photos of the condition of the jaw and teeth. These images are digitally analyzed and the desired mold is prepared. Mold making in this method is also completely up-to-date and modern. In this method, the patient is not bothered and the mold making is very accurate.

Traditional molding is done with the help of dental pastes. In this method, we need a dental molding set. After making the paste, the dentist places it on the patient’s tooth or gum. In this method, he uses a tray. After a few minutes, when the paste takes the shape of the tooth, it is removed from the mouth. This paste is sent to the laboratory to prepare the main mold.

Types of Dental Molding Materials

Molding materials, which are low-viscosity at the beginning of the molding process, are placed in the molding tray, for example, for the upper jaw mold, and then inserted into the patient’s mouth and removed from the mouth after a certain time. There are different types of these materials, the classification of which is shown in terms of their rigidity and elasticity in the figure below. In the following, we introduce the best types:

Dental Alginate

Alginate, or reversible hydrocolloid, has become very popular among dental hygienists due to its affordability and ease of use. Alginate molds set quickly and are easily removed from the mouth without tearing. However, there are some drawbacks to these materials. For example, impressions made with these materials do not show some of the details of the mouth that other materials do. In addition, the dimensions of the alginate mold change before it dries. On the other hand, their rapid setting requires a limited time for impressions. Alginate does not work well when more than one model of a mold is needed. Alginate is usually the material of choice for impressions of whole mouths, study models, orthodontic appliances, mouth guards, and even partial dentures.

Chromogel alginate, Bayer alginate, Golchai alginate, and dental putty are some of the most popular impression materials, which are mentioned below.

Alginate Cromogel dental impression powder is based on alginate and is designed intelligently and quickly using appropriate raw materials. It is used to prepare molds for removable prostheses, complete partial dentures and temporary crowns.

Bayer alginate is an alginate-based impression material. Its distinctive features include excellent accuracy and elasticity, resistance and compatibility with plaster, ease of use and preparation, freedom from any contamination, long-term durability and free of chemicals and preservatives. The scent of this product is mint.

Golchai alginate is an excellent impression material for preparing models and molds with high ability to record details and high elasticity. This product is used for dental purposes and is also used for sculpting work. One of the important points in using alginates is the accuracy in the hardening time of the prepared paste, the defined time for making alginate powder by Golchay Company for this product is set at 75 seconds.

Polysulfide

Polysulfide is made based on rubber materials and is used as a two-part dental impression material. This material has moderate hydrophilic properties that allow for accurate mapping of dental structures even in the presence of saliva or blood. Since this material is not hard and brittle, it creates rubber molds that are easy to remove from the mouth. Compared to other impression materials, it models the arch well. In terms of price, it is relatively cheap. The disadvantages of this material include the fact that polysulfide does not stick to itself; this makes the places in the mold where there is a cavity not washable.

Polyvinyl siloxane

One of the advantages of polyvinyl siloxane as an impression material is the mapping of fine details of the mouth, which can be used to implement very accurate dental models. The presence of materials with low, medium and high viscosities creates impression materials with excellent properties. Polyvinyl siloxane maintains its dimensional stability well after impressioning. One of the disadvantages of these materials is its sensitivity to chemical contamination caused by latex gloves and scrunchies, which causes the impression process to not be completed completely and as a result, the model output is of low accuracy.

Dental impression set

A dental impression set is part of the dental equipment set that requires a dental impression set in the traditional method.

Hydro impression set

One of the most widely used dental impression sets is the hydro impression set. This set has excellent hydrophilicity and good fluidity. The unique features of the Hydro impression set make it ideal for precise measurement and impression of complete and partial overdentures and two-stage impression (putty / wash).

Impression material injection gun

Impression material injection gun is one of the products needed in dentistry. In addition to being very practical and economical, the impression gun is also very durable and can maintain its original capabilities for years. These guns are very practical in injecting impression material and operate with high speed and precision. When temporary veneer materials need to be injected, the impression gun is used.

Questions:

• What is alginate?

Alginate is a biopolymer produced from renewable resources that has received much attention in specialized and scientific fields such as dentistry, dental prosthetics and applied industries. Biopolymer-based materials are known as a suitable alternative to traditional non-degradable materials such as plastic due to their ability to be degraded and decomposed by environmental factors in nature.

• What should you look for when purchasing dental removable materials?

Consider the cost-benefit ratio. You should also use materials that have the important qualities and characteristics of impression materials. These characteristics include dimensional accuracy, dimensional stability after impressioning, and hydrophilic properties that allow impression materials to remain strong and perform well even in the presence of moisture.