Application times for the single-step/double-mix technique for impression materials in clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Clinical Dentistry

Background:

• Hydrophilicity of unset dental impression materials is crucial for accurate impressions.
• Clinical application time, when materials contact oral tissues, can influence material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the clinical time course of dental impression taking using the single-step/double-mix technique.
• To evaluate the relationship between application time and material hydrophilicity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 86 dental impressions taken by 14 clinicians at a university dental clinic.
• Measurement of total application time from tray loading to final mouth placement.
• Inclusion of data from 265 prepared teeth and 46 implants.

Main Results:

• The mean total application time for dental impressions was 51.2 seconds (95% CI: 46.9–55.5 seconds).
• The number of teeth or implants did not significantly affect impression taking duration.
• Several polyvinyl siloxane materials exhibited reduced hydrophilicity within estimated clinical application times.

Conclusions:

• Clinically relevant application times should be considered in future in vitro studies.
• Understanding the impact of application time on material hydrophilicity is essential for optimizing impression accuracy.
• Further research is needed to correlate in vivo application times with in vitro material properties.