Impression materials

SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES.

(SLO)
At the end the topic, one should be
able to understand various
properties, composition and
manipulation of impression
materials.
Definition

Impression
It is the negative likeness or copy in reverse of the
surface of an object, an imprint of the teeth and
adjacent structures for use in dentistry.
Impression
materials
Any substance or combination of substances used for
making a negative reproduction or impression
Indications

 Diagnostic casts
 Working casts for indirect
reconstruction
 Bite registration

4
Ideal Requirements

They Should be:

Be fluid enough
Be viscous enough
While in the mouth they should transform into a rubbery
or rigid solid in a reasonable amount of time.
Should not distort or tear
Dimensionally stable
Biocompatible
Cost-effective.
Requirements of impression materials

 Accuracy = ability to replicate the

intraoral surface details.

 Dimensional stability = ability to retain its absolute
dimensional size over time.
 Tear resistance = ability to resist tearing in thin
sections (such as through the feather-edged
material within the gingival sulcus. 6
 Wettability
 Good wetting is the ability of a liquid to
cover the surface of the substrate
completely

non-wetting partial wetting perfect

wetting
7
 Why do we want good wetting?

 Less entrapment of oral fluids by displacing water and

other oral fluids from the surfaces in the mouth
 Bubble-free in the impression then in dies and models
 Improve adaptation of gypsum so as to prevent voids in
the casts.

8
What’s important?
Patient DENTIST
Neutral taste and
odour • easily mixed
Short setting time • short working times
Small tray • good quality impressions
Easily removed
impression • low cost
No retakes • easily disinfected
Non-toxic
• simple procedure
Cost 9
Classifications
 Depending On Mechanical Properties

Impression materials

Inelastic Elastic

ZOE impression
paste Elastomer
Hydrocolloi
Polyether
Impression plaster d
Polysulphid
Impression e
Agar Agar
compound Alginate
Silicone
 Depending On Force Exerted On Soft Tissues

Mucostatic Mucocompressiv
e

Impression plaster
Agar agar Impression compound
Light body H,Putty consistencies
elastomers of
Zinc oxide eugenol elastomers
paste
Inelastic Impression
Materials
Impression Compound
• Also called as Modelling Plastic
• It is a mucocompressive,
rigid,edentulous, thermo set, reversible
and primary impression material which
sets by temperature change.
Classified as

 Type 1 – Impression compound

Which is generally used for making an
impression of the edentulous ridges.

 Type 2– Tray compound

It is more viscous compound and can be used
to
form a tray for construction of a denture
According to ADA specification no 3

◦ Type 1- Low fusing compound (above 45°C)

- Green stick compound
- Impression compound
◦ Type 2- High fusing compound (above 70°C)
-Tray compound
Composition
Ingredient Percentage Function
1.Natural Or Synthetic Resins
a) Copal Resin 20% Thermoplasticity and gives flow and
b) Rosin 20% cohesions

2.Waxes:- 7% Thermoplasticity & produces smooth

(Bees Wax, Carnauba Wax surface
Or Paraffin Wax)
3.Various Types Of Oils And Fats:- 3% Plasticizer to improve the flow, Plasticity,
(Stearic Acid, Shellac ,Gutta workability, and hardens the compound.
Percha)
4.French Chalk, Talc, 50% To improve the strength
Diatomaceous Earth To reduce thermal expansion & contraction

5.Rouge (Ferric Oxide) Traces Mainly as color pigment, provides reddish

brown colour to compound.
Uses

1. For making preliminary impression in an

edentulous mouth.
2. For individual tooth impression.
3. Border moulding (Green Stick)
4. To prepare a special tray (Tray Compound)
5. To check undercuts in inlay preparation
Properties Of Impression Compound

Glass Transition Temperature:-

Definition: Temperature at which the material looses its

hardness or brittleness on heating and forms a rigid mass
on cooling is Glass transition temperature.
 It is approximately 39 °C for impression compound
Fusion Temperature

Definition : The temperature below which a definite

reduction in plasticity occurs during cooling of impression
compounds.

- For Impression compound it is approximately 43.5

°C
- For tray compound it is approximately 65 to 70°C
Significance-

Once the impression tray is seated, it should be

held firmly in position until first fusion temp. and
later glass transition temperature is reached.
Thermal conductivity :-
- Poor conductor of heat .
- Average linear contraction of impression compound
25°C is 0.3-0.4%

Flow :-
- Highly viscous and mucocompressive
Dimensional stability

 Residual mechanical stresses are incorporated in

impression compound during heating, manipulation
and recording impression.
 Distortion may occur during storage period due to
relaxation of these stresses.
 For accurate results model should be poured as soon as
possible.
 Manipulation
 It is softened in warm water in a
thermostatically controlled
(Range 60°C -70°C)
After the compound is removed from
water bath, it is kneaded with the
finger to obtain uniform plasticity.
Then it is placed in non perforated
stock tray.
After the compound is moulded to the
shape of impression tray it is inserted
in to the mouth and held gently in
position until the impression cools.
Precaution To Be Taken During
Manipulation

 The compound should not be allowed to boil or ignite ,

otherwise the plasticizers are volatized.
 Prolonged immersion in a water bath is not indicated, as low
molecular weight ingredients may be leached out.
 Overheating leads to sticky compound and difficult to handle.
 Avoid incorporating of water while kneading; it increases flow
even after hardening.
 Impression is removed from the mouth only after it has
completely hardened.
 Advantages

1. Non irritant and non toxic.

2. Reusable and economical.
3. Can be added and readapted.
4. Used in combination with other
material.
5. Long shelf life about 5 years.
Disadvantages

1. Poor dimensional stability.

2. Poor surface detail.
3. Large coefficient of thermal expansion and poor
conductor of heat.
4. Non elastic and cannot be used when undercuts
exists.
5. Compress the soft tissue while making an impression.
Disinfection

 2% Alkaline Glutaraldehyde solution, sodium

hyopochlorite and iodophors.

 Impression is immeresed, rinsed and poured

Storage

The cast should be pored as soon as possible within

first hour to minimise distortion due to relaxation of
the impression compound
Green stick Compound

Supplied in cylindrical form about 10cm in length and 6mm in

diameter
Fusion temperature - 43°C-45°C
Used for –
1. Border moulding of special tray
Procedure
Zinc Oxide Eugenol
Paste
CLASSIFIED AS
According to ADA specification no 16
 Type 1 – Hard set, fast set, thinner consistency
 Type 2 - Soft set, slow set, thicker consistency

Supply As:
In paste form in two tubes
 Base paste (white in color)
 Accelerator or Reactor or Catalyst paste (red)
Uses

 As an impression material for

edentulous mouth
 A surgical dressing
 Bite registration paste
 Temporary relining material
for dentures
Composition
Ingredient Percentage Function

ACCELERATOR PASTE 12% Reactive Ingredient

a) Oil of cloves or
eugenol
b) Gum or polymerized 50% a)Facilitate the speed of reaction
rosin b)Give smooth and homogenous mix
c)Thermoplastic property
c) 20% Improve Strength
Filler(silica ,kaolin,talc)

d) Lanolin 3% Plasticizer

e) Resinous balsam 10% Increase flow and improve mixing

qualities

f) MgCl2 or CaCl2 5% Accelerators

g) Colour pigments Traces a)Distinguish from other paste

b)Enables thorough mixing
 Ingredient Percentag Function
e
Base Paste

a) Zinc oxide 87% Reactive ingredient

b)Fixed vegetable 13% Paste former

or mineral oil plasticizer,
retarder, masks the
irritation of eugenol
Setting Reaction

 It is a typical acid-base reaction to form a

chelate
 This reaction is also known as CHELATION
 End product is called zinc eugenolate
Zno+H2O ZN(OH)2
Zn(OH)2+2HE ZnE2+2H2O
BASE ACID (ZINC
 Properties
Setting time :-
Setting Time Intial Final

Type 1 3 – 6 min < 10 min

Type 2 3 – 6 min < 15 min

Initial Setting time :-

Is the period from the beginning of the mixing until the material ceases to
pull away or string out when its surface is touched with a metal rod
FINAL Setting time :-
Time elapsed from start of mixing to the instant when penetration falls
below 0.2 mm as measured with penetrometer or similar instruments.
 Rigidity and Strength :-
7 Mpa after 2 hrs from start of mixing

 Dimensional stability :-
Negligible dimensional change during setting
(less than 0.1%)

 Biological consideration :-
Eugenol can cause- tissue irritation burning
sensation
Mucostatic and gives accurate and finer details.
Factors affecting in setting time

INCREASE IN SETTING TIME:- DECREASE IN SETTING TIME:-

 By using cool  Higher Temperature,

spatula and mixing humidity
slab  More eugenol paste
 More ZOE paste  Drop of water
 Retarders(inert oil  Accelerator(Cacl2,
and waxes) Mgcl2)
 Slower & shorter  Longer and faster
mixing time mixing time
Manipulatio
n
Advantages

 It has enough working time to do border moulding.

 Easy to manipulate, not very expensive.
 It registers accurate surface details .
 It is dimensionally stable .
 It does not require any separating media as it does not
stick to cast.
 Adherent well to dried surfaces of compound, resin and
shellac bases.
Disadvantages

 It requires a special tray for impression making.

 It adheres to tissues .
 Eugenol can cause burning sensation and tissue
irritation .
 It can not be used for making impression of teeth and
undercut areas as it is inelastic in nature.
 Instruments are difficult to clean
 Disinfection

 Glutaraldehydes or iodophors.
 Immersion prefered; spraying can be used for bite
registration.
 Modification
1. Non-eugenol Paste
2. Zinc oxide can reacts with various carboxylic acids and form
ZOE like materials

ORTHOETHOXYBENZOIC ACID (EBA) is a suitable substitute for eugenol

ZnO+2RCOOH (RCOO)2Zn+H2O

Reaction can not affected by temp. and humidity.

Surgical Pastes

After certain periodontal surgeries (e.g. gingivectomy)

where a suture can not be placed
A ZOE surgical paste may be placed over the wound
-To aid in retention of medicament
-To protect the wound
-To promote healing
These pastes are generally slower and softer in their setting reaction in
comparison with impression pastes.

Drawbacks – i) Chronic gastric disturbance ,if kept for longer duration.

ii) Irritation and burning sensation is produced
 Bite registration pastes
 ZOE paste used as recording material in complete denture and fixed
or removable partial dentures
 It offers almost no resistance to closing of mandible, thus allowing a
more accurate interocclusal relationship records.
 The composition is similar with more plasticiser added.
SUMMARY
 Impression plaster

 Impression plaster was one of the earliest

impression materials in dentistry.
 It is a rigid, mucostatic impression material that sets by
chemical reaction.
 It is Calcium Sulphate β- hemihydrate obtained by
modifying the model plaster by adding small amount of
uncalcined gypsum and calcium sulphate anhydrite
 Composition

According to ADA specification no 25

Ingredient Percentage Function

Potassium Sulphate 4% Accelerator:acts by decreases

the setting time and setting
expansion.
Borax 0.4% Retarder increase setting time
and decreases setting
expansion
Uncalcined dehydrate and Accelerators -impurtities
small amount of anhyrites
Coloring agent Alizarin red is commonly used
Uses

1. Used to record completely edentulous arches and

regions (window technique).
2. Used in dental soldering procedures for assembling and
recording relationships of crowns and pontics.
3. It can also be used as a bite registration material
 Properties

Mixing Time:- Hand Mixing:- 1 Min

Mechanical Mixing:-20-30 SEC
It’s a time from the addition of the powder to the water until the
mixing is completed.

Working Time:- 3 Min

Time available to use a workable mix.

Setting Time:- 4+1 MIN

It is a time elapsing from the beginning of the mixing until the
material hardens is known as a setting time.
Unsuitable for use as an impression material because of 2
properties :
i) Prolonged setting time (abt. 15mins.)
ii) Setting expansion

Overcome by :
Addition of 4% potassium sulphate to the water with which it
is mixed reduces its setting expansion appreciably but at the
same time it reduces the setting time to abt. 1min.To
compensate that Borax is added to increase the setting time
to approx. 2-3 mins
 Composition of antiexpansion
solution

Ingredient Percentage Function

Potassium sulphate 4% Anti-expansion agent as well

as an accelerator

Borax 0.4% Retarder to control the setting

time
Alizarin red 0.04% Help in the distinction of the
impression & the cast
Potato starch Traces Helps to separate the
impression from the cast
Two Ways of Dispensing

i) Anti-expansion agent, retarder & pigment incorporated into the

plaster by the manufacturer

ii) An anti-expansion solution may be prepared & used with standard

white plaster
Manipulation
 WATER - POWDER RATIO :

A higher W/P ratio (approx. 0.60) is used as compared to other

gypsum products.
The fluid mix is required to:
 Enable fine details to be recorded in the impression
 Give the plaster mucostatic properties
 Make the material brittle & easy to fracture
 Prevent the formation of excessive exothermic heat during the
setting reaction
 Advantages

 Good surface detail

 Negligible dimensional changes
 Rate of the setting reaction can be controlled by the
clinician
 Disadvantages

 Separating medium is required.

 Tend to fracture when removing from undercuts.
 Non toxic but cause dryness.
 Bad taste- disliked by patients
 Soluble plaster

 Impression plaster may sometime contain ‘POTATO STARCH’ to

make it soluble and this type is often known as a ‘soluble
plaster’
 After the cast has hardened, the impression and cast are put in
hot water.
 The starch swells and the impression disintegrates, making it
easy to separate the cast from the impression
Impression waxes
 PREREQUISITIES OF IMPRESSION
WAXES

1. The wax must produce an accurate impression.

2. To differentiate and identify, each wax should be distinctly distinguished
with different colors.
3. Addition of wax over existing wax layer must be possible
4. Some waxes as required must be sufficiently hard and strong to perform
the function of reinforcement.
5. It should possess sufficient flow at mouth temperature so as to be easily
molded. This is important as high temperatures may injure the oral tissues
6. The surface of the wax should appear glossy before placing in the oral
cavity. When impressed against the soft tissues, it should give a smooth
dull surface with fine details accurately recorded
Classification

Impression waxes are classified as

I. Border molding wax
II. Corrective impression wax
III. Occlusal (bite) registration wax
 BORDER MOLDING WAX

 This wax is used for simultaneous molding of all the borders of a

complete denture special tray.
 The consistency of the wax can be easily controlled by varying the
temperature of the water bath used for softening the wax.
 The working time is of no concern as the material continues to flow
in the mouth
 CORRECTIVE IMPRESSION WAX

These are used as wax veneer over an original impression to contact

and register the details of the soft tissues.
The flow should be 100% at 37°C, e.g., Iowa wax and Korecta wax.
USES
1. To make functional impression of free end saddles
(Class I and II removable partial dentures).
2. To record the posterior palatal seal in dentures.
3. Functional impression for obturators.
 IOWA WAX

 This was developed to record the functional or supporting

form of an edentulous ridge.
 They are also used to record definitive impressions and to reline
the finished partial denture so as to record and achieve support
from the underlying tissues.
 The mouth temperature waxes lend themselves well to all
relining techniques as they flow sufficiently in the mouth to
avoid over displacement of tissues.
 BITE REGISTRATION WAX

It is used to transfer the maxillomandibular relations recorded

intraorally to the articulator.

COMPOSITION
Occlusal waxes are formulated from bees wax or hydrocarbon waxes
such as paraffin or ceresin. The flow measured at 37°C ranges from
2.5% to 22%, e.g., Alu wax.
 PROPERTIESs

MELTING RANGE :
Since waxes have several types of molecules (crystalline or
amorphous) of different mol. wt., they have a melting range rather
than a point.
Melting range of impression waxes is much lower due to the presence
of ceresin.
They flow at mouth temp. under occlusal load.
Melting Range :
Bees wax – 34-70ºC
Paraffin wax – 44-60ºC
 FLOW

Flow of impression waxes is measured at 37ºC and

is found to be :
100% for Corrective wax
2.5% - 22% for Bite registration wax
 THERMAL EXPANSION

 Expand when subjected to a rise in temp. & contract as the

temp. is decreased
 Because of high co-efficient of thermal expansion (350-
700x10⁻⁶/ºC), the impressions should be poured immediately to
avoid distortion
 If the impression cannot be poured immediately, it should be
stored at or near 0ºC
 ADVANTAGES

 Relatively easy to manipulate

 Requires no advanced equipment
 Can be used in thin layers to record the impression surface of the
ridge accurately
 Odorless
 Absence of tissue reaction
 Economical
 Disadvantages

 Technique sensitive
 Cannot be stored as distortion of the wax occurs due to release of
stresses
 Can be used only to record edentulous surfaces