The impression as a means for analysis of clinical mistakes in fixed prosthodontics

Earlier and more recent clinical observations show that mistakes made in the early clinical stages of treatment have a negative effect on the time of effectiveness of the prosthetic treatment and its medicobiological value. Finding the most common mistakes and deviations from the clinical and laboratory protocol is of primary importance for creating a qualitative clinical technique and adequate training programs. On the other hand it is difficult for the practicing dentist to perform self-control in his everyday technique for preparation and taking impressions. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the most commonly made clinical mistakes and find how to detect them in time by analysis of the impressions. The study was performed on impressions for crowns and bridges made by generally practising dentists in different regions of the country. The impressions were divided into groups according to manner of their taking - with or without an impression tray. Transverse cuts in planes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the dental stump were used to evaluate the axial inclination and the borders of preparation. The results from the study show that the generally practicing dentists make serious mistakes in the preparation of the teeth for crowns. These mistakes are aggravated by the wrong strategy in taking the impressions. The analysis of the mistakes in the training programs for students and post graduate students is important because it diminishes the chance of their occurring in future. Each dentist can use the impressions taken by him as a means for self-control and evaluation.