INTRODUCTION

◦ Impression compound is usually used for taking primary impressions

of the edentulous ridge prior to the construction of a custom-made
impression tray for complete dentures.
◦ Impression compound is also available in sticks of various colors
indicating different softening temperature ranges.
◦ Impression compound is used to take a negative replica or an
Impression of the Edentulous Oral Cavity in a process called
primary impression.
◦ Impression Compound is a material composed of fatty acids,
shellac, glycerine, and filler used as a primary impression material.
When heated in a water bath at about 65°C (149°F) it becomes
plastic and can be moulded in an impression tray and inserted in
the mouth.
◦ The material becomes fairly rigid on cooling to mouth temperature
and has low material flow at room temperature. It has a low thermal-
expansion coefficient so that there is minimal dimensional change as
the impression is cooled from mouth temperature and it does not
adhere to moist oral tissue.
 COMPOSITION
◦ Rosin 30%
◦ Copal resin 30%
◦ Carbuna wax 10%
◦ Stearic acid 5%
◦ Talc 25%
◦ Coloring agent
The composition of impression compounds tends to vary from product to product and is usually a
trade secret. They consist of a combination of resins and waxes, plasticizers and fillers, each
having a specific function:
◦ Resins and waxes - resins are amorphous organic substances that are insoluble in water.
Typical naturally occurring resins used in impression compound are shellac, dammar, rosin or
sandarac. Some recent products use synthetic resins (e.g. coumerone indene) to give greater
control and consistency of the composition.
 COMPOSITION
◦ Waxes are straight - chain hydrocarbons of the general formula CH3(CH2)n CH3,
where n is between 15 and 42. They are characteristically tasteless, odourless,
colourless and greasy to the touch. Waxes used in impression compound
include beeswax and colophony.
◦ Plasticizers - the waxes and resin, if used on their own, would tend to
produce a brittle material with a tendency towards tackiness. The
brittleness is overcome by the addition of plasticizers, such as gutta
percha and now, more commonly, stearic acid.
◦ Fillers - to overcome the tackiness, control the degree of flow and minimize
shrinkage due to thermal contraction, a filler is added. Commonly used fillers are
calcium carbonate and limestone. The fillers also improve the rigidity of this
impression material.
 TYPES
◦ Type I
◦ For making primary impressions
◦ For individual tooth impression
◦ For peripheral tracing or border moulding
◦ To check undercuts in inlay preparation
◦ Has high flow property
◦ Type II
◦ To make a special tray
◦ More rigid
 TYPES
◦ Cake – for full arch impression (preliminary)
◦ Sticks
◦ Green-material with lowest fusing of the modeling compound.
◦ Red and Gray-sticks have higher and broader working range than do
the cakes of like color so they may be flamed without harming the
material.
◦ Gray-material in stick form is preferred by some dentist for border
molding because of its contrasting lighter color.
 CHARACTERISTICS
◦ When heated in a water bath at about 65ºC (149ºF) it becomes plastic and can be
moulded in an impression tray and inserted in the mouth.
◦ Material becomes fairly rigid on cooling to mouth temperature and has low
material flow at room temperature .
◦ It has a low-thermal expansion coefficient so that there is minimal dimensional
change as the impression is cooled from mouth temperature and it does not
adhere to moist oral tissue.
◦ The material is are reversible type material which means, it can be reused or
softened using heat for a limited period of time to capture the perfect impression.
◦ Its is a rigid, reversible impression material which sets by physical change.
 MANIPULATION
◦Sticks: Small amount softened over flame
◦Cakes: Sofetened in a thermostatically controlled
waterbath

◦VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28qqPBD5o-
U&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3DbfxvQV_--
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 MANIPULATION
◦ Moist heat method
◦ Water bath 50-70%
◦ Because of poor thermal conductivity/ poor heat transfer, the outer
surface softens while the inner surface remains hard
◦ Homogenously soft in and out
◦ Dry Heat method
◦ Open flame
◦ Important ingredients are lost during melting
◦ Overheating – sparks indicate that some components
(plasticizers) are leached out
◦ If during heating, the modelling compound isn’t shiny, plasticizers
are lost already.
 MANIPULATION
◦ It should never be softened at temperatures much
above 132ºF.
◦ Neither it nor any other modeling plastic should be
immersed in the water bath for an indefinite period.
◦ It should be dipped and kneaded until soft and
subjected to no more heat than necessary before the
tray is loaded and it is placed in the mouth.
 MANIPULATION
◦ Then it may be flamed with an alcohol torch for the
purpose of border molding, but it should always be
tempered by being dipped back into the water bath before
its return to avoid burning the patient.
◦ The modeling plastic then may be chilled using water spray
before removal from the mouth, although this is not necessary
if care is used in removing the impression.
◦ During sectional flaming and border molding, the modeling
plastic should be chilled in iced water after each removal from
the mouth; then it may be trimmed with a sharp knife without
danger of fracture or distortion.
 PROPERTIES
◦ Poor thermal conductivity
◦ Dimensional change; shrinks at 0.3-0.4%
◦ Detailed and accurate impression
◦ Good flow property
◦ Even then, the surface detail is not as good as can be achieved with virtually all
of the other impression materials. It is therefore better to use compo as a simple
and quick means of producing a special tray, and then use a wash of zinc oxide–
eugenol to provide the surface detail.
◦ The coefficient of thermal expansion of resins and waxes is very high, as
indicated in , and are highly non-linear within the temperature range of dental
interest Shrinkage is in the order of 1.5%, and is due to the thermal contraction
from mouth to room temperature.
 PROPERTIES
◦ Impression compound is muco-compressive, as it is the most
viscous of the impression materials used. This can present
particular problems in those patients who have a flabby
mandibular ridge.
◦ Compo is rigid once cooled and therefore cannot be used to record
undercuts. It has a high viscosity, so reproduction of surface detail is
not very good. However, the reproduction can be improved by
reheating the surface of the impression material after taking the first
impression and then reseating it in the patient’s mouth.
References:
◦ https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095959323
◦ https://www.juniordentist.com/impression-compound.html
◦ Research Article, Dent Health Curr Res Vol: 2 Issue: 2
(Impression Techniques and Materials for Complete Denture Construction)
◦ https://sites.google.com/a/atsu.edu/complete-dentures/preliminary-impressions