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Current concepts and techniques in complete denture final impression procedures.
Vicki C Petropoulos1, Behnoush Rashedi
1Department of Restorative Dentistry, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-600, USA. VPetropoulos@aol.com
Summary
Most U.S. dental schools teach the selective-pressure technique for complete denture final impressions using custom trays. However, variability exists in border molding materials and impression techniques taught in predoctoral curricula.
Area of Science:
- Dental education
- Prosthodontics
- Complete dentures
Background:
- Final impression procedures are critical for complete denture success.
- Standardization in teaching these procedures across U.S. dental schools is not well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey U.S. dental schools on current teaching practices for final impression procedures in predoctoral complete denture curricula.
- To identify prevalent concepts, techniques, and materials used in teaching.
Main Methods:
- A survey questionnaire was distributed to 54 U.S. dental schools.
- 44 schools (82% response rate) completed the survey regarding their teaching methods.
Main Results:
- 71% of schools teach the selective-pressure technique; 64% use modeling plastic for border molding.
- 98% utilize custom trays, with 70% using visible light-cured (VLC) composite resin.
- Variations exist in vent hole placement and teaching of Boucher (36%) or modified Boucher (34%) techniques.
Conclusions:
- Predoctoral dental education programs demonstrate consensus on several aspects of final impression making.
- Significant variability persists in impression philosophy and material selection for complete dentures.