Dental Materials

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2- Impression compound:
Non-elastic, thermoplastic, hydrophobic, mucocompressive impression
material. Used mainly for complete denture (primary impression) and
other uses depending on its type.
♦ Composition:
1. Waxes: usually bees-waxes. This material is brittle and must be soften
to be workable.
2. Natural resin: give the material thermoplastic properties.
3. Stearic acid (plasticizer): to overcome brittleness.
4. Filler: e.g., calcium carbonate and limestone which added to
overcome tackiness, improve rigidity, control degree of flow and
minimize shrinkage due to thermal contraction.

♦Types and uses:

1.TypeI Impression compound (lower fusing): Supplied in sheets, stick
form or cones. Sheet form material used to take primary impression for
edentulous ridges using stock tray, softened using water bath (55-60Cº).
Storage in hot water should not be so long to prevents leaching of
important constituents. Such as Stearic acid. Overheating make the
compound sticky and difficult to handle. Stick form material used for
border molding of an acrylic special tray, softened over flame. The
compound should not be allowed to boil, otherwise the plasticizer is
volatilized.
2- Type II Impression compound (higher fusing): It is stiffer and has
less flow than regular impression compound. Used to make a special
tray (now largely replaced by acrylic tray) into which another
impression material is placed. This is done for complete dentures of
edentulous arches.
♦Properties:
1.Thermoplastic property: So, impression compound is softened when
we heated it for 45Cº and becomes hard when it’s cooled to 37Cº. There
is no chemical reaction but only a physical reaction, so the material is
reversible and can be reused a number of times (for the same patient
only) in case of errors. Inaccurate portions can be remade without
having to remake the entire impression.
2.Poor dimensional stability: Material has a high value of coefficient of
thermal expansion and undergo considerable shrinkage on removal from
mouth (relaxation because stresses are introduced into the material
during taking the impression or during removal of the impression-
mucocompressive). Then residual stress exists when cooling the
impression. The gradual relief of internal stresses may cause distortion
of impression so the impression should be chilled immediately in cold
water to reduce the stress relaxation and poured as soon as possible
(rigid once cooled).
3.Thermal conductivity: Impression compound is poor thermal
conductors, so it needs thorough heating, and a water bath is preferred to
soften the impression compound. We should wait for certain time in
order that all the material is softened. When we introduce it into the
patient’s mouth, we should wait enough time till the outer and the inner
portion of the impression compound is hard before we can remove it
from the patient’s mouth.
4. Reproduction of surface detail: It is mucocompressive and most
viscous impression material used; the reproduction of surface detail is
not very good, also not used to record undercut.
♦Disadvantages:
✓ The handling of dental impression compound is very technique
sensitive. If it is not prepared properly, volatiles can be lost on heating,
or low-molecular-weight ingredients can be lost during immersion in a
water bath.
✓ Excessive wet kneading can incorporate water into the mix and
change the flow properties of the compound.
✓ Due to a high coefficient of thermal expansion, the dimensions of
the impression are not likely to be the same as the dimensions in the
mouth.
✓ These materials are non-elastic and may distort on removal from the
mouth.

♦Disinfection: Dental impression compound can be disinfected by

immersion in sodium hypochlorite. The manufacturer's
recommendations for proper disinfection should be followed.
3. Impression waxes:
Impression waxes are rarely used to record complete impression but are
used to correct small imperfection in other impression. These materials
consisted from a mixture of low melting paraffin and bees waxes in ratio
about 3:1. Waxes have high flow and larger coefficient of thermal
expansion, so it will distort when removed from undercut area. It’s used
in ranging consistencies soft, medium, hard, and extra hard.
4.Zinc oxide- eugenol:
The reaction between zinc oxide (ZnO) and eugenol yields a relatively
hard mass that has medical advantages, and also mechanical properties
that make it usable in certain dental fields.
♦Uses:
1. A final impression for edentulous arches.
2. Bite registration paste.
3. Temporary relining material for dentures.
4. Temporary filling.
5. Surgical pack in periodontal surgical procedure.
6. Root canal filling.
7. Cementation and insulating medium.
♦Composition:
Base paste: Zinc oxide 87% as a reactive component with vegetable and
mineral oil 13% which act as a plasticizer and reduce the burning
sensation of eugenol. Water essential either to Base or Accelerator
Accelerator paste: Eugenol (oil of cloves) 12% (reactive component).
Accelerators CaCl2. Filler (silica type) 20%. Gum or polymerized rosin
50% (speed the reaction). Lanolin 3%. Resinous balsam 10% (improves
flow and mixing properties). Coloring agent 5%.
♦Chemical reaction:
H2O
ZnO + eugenol → Zinc eugenolate +Unreacted ZnO
The set material consists of a mixture of amorphous zinc eugenolate
matrix which hold unreacted zinc oxide particles together.
♦Types of (ZnO-eugenol): According to ADA specification no. 16
Type I: hard, I.S.T = (3-6) minutes, F. S.T =10 minutes
Type II: soft, I.S.T = (3-6) minutes, F. S.T =15 minutes
♦Manipulation: two strips of equal length are squeezed from each
tube on paper pad or glass slab, mixed by a spatula till the tow colors
blend together. Mixing is for about (60 sec) then the mixture is filled
into the special tray. After setting of the gypsum, the impression and the
stone is placed in warm water for easier separation of zinc oxide from
the cast.

♦Properties:

1. Setting time
Factors controlling the S.T:
a) Few drops of H2O to the eugenol paste shorten the S.T, also zinc
acetate or acetic acid shorten the S.T.
b) Cooling the spatula and glass slab or adding small amount of oils or
waxes prolong S.T.
c) Varying the length of the two pastes, this results in either increase or
decrease of S.T.
d) Extent the mixing time (within limit) will shorten the S.T.
e) High atmospheric temperature and humidity shorten the S.T.
2. Rigid non-elastic and should not be used for partially edentulous
arches, its fractured when removed from undercut area.
3. Accurate registration for surface details due to good flow (mucostatic)
property (recording tissue in uncompressed state).
4. The paste tends to adhere to skin, so that patient’s lips and cheek
should be vazalined. It requires a special tray for impression making.
5. It has advantage of being dimensionally stable. A negligible shrinkage
(less than 0.1%) may occur during hardening.
6. No separating medium is needed for making the cast.
7. Eugenol can cause burning sensation and tissue irritation. Non-
eugenol paste was developed; here the zinc oxide reacts with a
carboxylic acid.

Advantage: The advantages of zinc oxide-eugenol include high

accuracy of soft tissue impressions due to its low viscosity. The material
is stable after setting, has good surface detail reproduction, and is
inexpensive. It also adheres well to dental impression compound.

Disadvantage: The disadvantages of this material are messiness and a

variable setting time due to temperature and humidity. Eugenol is
irritating to soft tissues. This material is non- elastic and may fracture if
undercuts are present.