In Vitro Implant Impression Accuracy Using a New Photopolymerizing SDR Splinting Material

Area of Science:

• Dental materials science
• Prosthodontics
• Biomaterials engineering

Background:

• Accurate dental impressions are crucial for fabricating well-fitting implant prostheses.
• Traditional splinting materials may introduce inaccuracies in multi-implant impressions.
• Evaluating novel materials like Smart Dentin Replacement (SDR) is essential for improving impression techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the three-dimensional (3D) accuracy of dental implant impressions using a new light-curing resin splinting material, SDR.
• To compare the accuracy of SDR splinted impressions with conventional acrylic resin splinting.

Main Methods:

• A titanium master model with six implant analogues was used.
• Sixty impressions were made using vinyl polysiloxane material with either SDR or Duralay resin for splinting.
• Impressions were categorized into test (SDR) and control (Duralay) groups, with some additionally sectioned and rejoined.
• Three-dimensional deviations were measured using a coordinate measuring machine and CAD software.

Main Results:

• Test groups using SDR showed significantly lower mean 3D deviations (17.5 μm and 17.4 μm) compared to control groups (25.0 μm and 19.1 μm).
• No significant difference in accuracy was found between SDR groups that were sectioned and those that were not.
• The SDR splinting material demonstrated superior accuracy over Duralay for multi-implant impressions.

Conclusions:

• The novel light-curing resin splinting material, SDR, provides highly accurate impressions for edentulous jaws with multiple implants.
• Sectioning and rejoining the SDR splint does not compromise the accuracy of the impression.
• SDR represents a viable and accurate alternative for splinting implant impressions.