DENTAL IMPRESSION MATERIALS

Purpose of Impression Materials

✓To make an accurate replica of the oral tissues

✓To give a negative reproduction of the tissues
✓To be filled with model material to make a
positive cast
POSITIVE CAST
 REQUIREMENTS OF AN IDEAL IMPRESSION
MATERIAL

1. An impression material should be biocompatible (non-toxic and non-irritant to the

oral tissues).

2. An impression material should be accurate.

3. It should not be affected by the oral fluids.

4. It should have acceptable odor and taste to be acceptable to the patient.

5. It should be easily manipulated with the minimal equipment.

 REQUIREMENTS OF AN IDEAL IMPRESSION
MATERIAL
6. It should have suitable working time.,

7. It should have suitable setting time to avoid fatigue of both operator and patient.

8. It should accept addition and correction.

9. It should be readily disinfected without loss of accuracy.

10.It should be compatible with gypsum products.

11.It should have good shelf life.

 “ No impression material fulfills all the
requirements”

→ these requirements prove useful when evaluating

an impression material.
 CLASSIFICATION
According to
their use Material
Complete denture 1-Plaster of Paris 3-Zinc oxide and
2-Impression compound eugenol
4-Waxes
Partial denture 1-Agar
2-Alginate 3- Elastomers
1-Agar 2-Alginate
Crown and bridges
3-Elastomers
 CLASSIFICATION

According to the
manner they harden Material Example
By chemical Plaster of Paris Elastomers
Alginates Impression pastes

Softening and Waxes Agar

hardening by heat Impression compound
(thermoplastic)
 BEHAVIOR AFTER SETTING:
DEPENDING ON THEIR TO REGAIN THEIR ORIGINAL
SHAPE AFTER REMOVAL FROM UNDERCUTS.
1. Elastic 2. Non-elastic
1.1 Hydrocolloid
• Reversible hydrocolloid (Agar) • Zinc oxide eugenol
• wax
• Irreversible hydrocolloid (Alginate)
• Impression
1.2 Elastomers compound
▪ Polysulfide • Plaster of Paris
▪ Polyether
▪ Silicone ( Addition-
Condensation)
 Plaster of pairs
Composition :

Material supplied in the form of powder to

which water is added.

β- Calcium sulfate hemihydrates

β CaSO4. ½ H2o

N.B a hydrate in which there are two molecules of the compound for each molecule of water.
 Plaster of pairs
Setting mechanism

• CaSO4 .1/2 H2O + H2O → CaSO4·2H2O+ Heat

 β ca sulfate is used rather than α and or improved stone because:

a) It is weaker: it will break during removal from the undercut and avoid injury to
the patient.

b) It requires higher W / p ratio, which increase flow and record fine details.

c) Higher W / p ratio will reduce the exothermic heat of reaction during taking of
impression.
 Plaster of pairs
Modifiers:
1- Chemical used to regulate the setting time and setting expansion.
(4% potassium sulfate decrease setting time and setting expansion ).
N.B
- If setting time unduly shortened
(1% Borax used will further decrease setting expansion).
 Plaster of pairs
Modifiers:
2- Natural gums:
- Improve handling characteristics
- Increase cohesion
- Facilitate border molding
3- Flavoring agents:
- To make it acceptable to the patient.
4- Coloring materials
- To distinguish the impression from the cast
5- Potato starch:

- After the impression is cast and hardened it is socked into

hot water and starch swells and the impression disintegrates
and will be easy to remove
 Plaster of pairs
Properties
➢ The main advantage of plaster of Paris is its high fluidity that allows recording
the fine details.

➢ The dimensional changes on setting in the mouth are negligible due to anti-
expansion additives.

➢ Small dimensional changes during storage. ( Drying shrinkage)

 Plaster of pairs
Properties

➢ It needs to be coated with a separating medium before pouring the cast (to
facilitate separation of the impression from the cast). This separating
medium obliterates the fine details.

➢ Un pleasant to the patient and it dehydrate the soft tissues.

 IMPRESSION COMPOUND
■Supplied in the form of sheets, sticks or cones of different sizes and
colors.
Application
1- Full jaws impression in edentulous mouth
2- Impression trays when final impression is taken with another material
3- peripheral seal materials
4- Single impression with copper band, for inlay and crowns.
 IMPRESSION COMPOUND
COMPOSITION
1-Essentially a mixture of thermoplastic material:
- Natural resin or waxes: soften on heating and give the qualities of flow and cohesion.
2-Filler:
(e.g. Talc, soapstone or diatomaceous earth )
- give a suitable consistency and minimize shrinkage.
3-Plasticizers:
(e.g. Stearic acid or Stearin )
- give workability
4-Coloring agents:
e.g. rouge

.
Talc
soapstone
Diatomaceous earth
 IMPRESSION COMPOUND
CLASSIFICATION (ADA)
I. Lower Fusing materials:
➢ The impression compound sheets about 4-5 mm are used for making primary
impressions for edentulous patients

➢Peripheral seal materials: sticks are used for border molding of acrylic special trays.

➢Sticks or cone shaper for copper band impressions for inlays and crowns.

II. Higher fusing materials: Used as tray materials)

 Impression compound
Properties
A-Accuracy:
➢Flow: The material is not sufficiently fluid to record all fine details.

➢ Dimensional changes during setting:

• The dimensional changes are very high. Since the material has a high coefficient of thermal
expansion, considerable shrinkage occurs upon setting during cooling from 55 °C to 37 °C.

• Shrinkage also occurs on cooling from mouth temperature to room temperature (from 37 °C to 22
°C) after impression removal.
➢ Dimensional stability:

• Stresses build up within the compound during impression making and after
removal from the mouth, these stresses may get released causing distortion.
Therefore, the impression should be cast within an hour.

➢ Elastic recovery:

• The material is non-elastic, so it distorts during removal from the undercuts.

➢ Compatibility with model and die material:

• They are compatible with model and die materials, and do not need a separating
medium.
 Impression compound
Properties
b. Other properties:

- The impression compound can be removed from the mouth, re-softened and
reinserted for any corrections required.

- Additions to the impression are possible and easy to apply.

- Can be electroplated with copper.

 IMPRESSION COMPOUND
MANIPULATION AND SETTING
MECHANISM
Heating
➢- For completely edentulous patient:

• The compound sheets, which are used for making impressions, are heated in a water bath at 55-60°C.

• Since the material has a low thermal conductivity, it must be immersed in the water bath for sufficient
time to ensure complete and uniform softening.

• However, if it is left for too long, some of the ingredients may leach out into the water bath, thus,
altering the properties of the material

• The impression compound sticks are used for border molding.

 IMPRESSION COMPOUND
MANIPULATION AND SETTING
MECHANISM
Heating
➢For copper band impression:

• The impression compound sticks are softened directly over the flame.

• Avoid over heating to avoid volatilization of some ingredients with a consequent

alternation of properties.

• The tooth prepared without any undercuts.

• The softening compound is placed inside the band and pressed into the impression area.
 IMPRESSION COMPOUND
MANIPULATION AND SETTING
MECHANISM

Cooling and removal

- Cooling must be continued until the entire mass is rigid to reduce plastic flow on
removal from the mouth.

heat
Compound (Hard) Soft
cooling
 Zinc Oxide Eugenol

Application
➢ Zinc oxide eugenol impression materials are used for making secondary
impressions for edentulous patients due to their high accuracy.
 Zinc Oxide Eugenol

Presentation
➢ The material is supplied as two pastes in two metallic collapsible tubes.
 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Composition
The base paste :
-Zinc oxide 80%.
-Inert oil 15%.
-Hydrogenated resin.
 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Composition
The catalyst paste:
•Oil of eugenol or oil of cloves (12 %).

•Oil of cloves contains 70-85 % eugenol. It is sometimes used instead of eugenol since it
is less irritant to the soft tissues.

•Gum rosin and oils (65 %) give body and coherence and imparts thermoplastic
properties to the set materials for easy removal from the cast by softening it in hot water.

•Fillers (e.g. talk or kaolin or diatomaceous earth) are added to form a paste.
 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Composition
The catalyst paste:

•Magnesium chloride or zinc acetate is added as accelerator

•Water is essential for the reaction (for the hydrolysis of the zinc oxide to form
zinc hydroxide which will react with the eugenol(.

•Inert oils act as plasticizers to impart fluidity and smoothness to the paste.
 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Setting reaction
•
 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Properties
a. Accuracy:

➢Flow:

-sufficiently fluid to record the fine details of the oral tissue. (Very accurate)

➢Dimensional changes during setting:

-Only very little (negligible) shrinkage (0.1 %) occurs during setting.

 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Properties
a. Accuracy:

➢Dimensional stability:

-No dimensional changes during storage. However, as it contains thermoplastic

resins, high temperatures may cause distortion.

➢Being non-elastic, it distorts upon removal from the undercut.

 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Properties
a. Accuracy:

➢Compatibility with the die material:

-It is compatible with the die materials and can be easily separated from the cast
by softening in a hot water bath at 60 °C.
 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Properties
b. Biocompatibility:

➢Eugenol can be irritant to the oral soft tissues and may cause a tingling or
burning sensation.

➢The impression paste can adhere to tissues, so the lips of the patient are
usually coated with petroleum jelly (Vaseline) before making the impression.
 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Properties
c. Eugenol leaves a persistent taste, which may be unpleasant to some patients.

N.B. Non-eugenol zinc oxide impressions are now available to avoid such
effect.

d. The impression cannot be electroplated.

 Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Setting reaction
➢ Equal lengths of the two pastes are mixed over a glass slab until a homogenous color is obtained.

➢ The setting reaction is accelerated by:

1-Heat.

2-Adding primary alcohols to the mix such as ethyl alcohol.

3-The presence of high humidity.