Effect of Impression Technique and Operator Experience on Impression Time and Operator-Reported Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Dental materials science and technology
• Clinical dentistry and prosthodontics
• Human factors in healthcare

Background:

• Dental impression techniques are crucial for prosthodontic treatment success.
• Conventional alginate impressions and digital scanning offer different clinical experiences.
• Operator experience level may influence the efficiency and perception of these techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of impression technique (alginate vs. digital scan) on clinical outcomes.
• To assess how operator experience influences impression time, satisfaction, stress, and preference.
• To compare conventional and digital impression methods across varying operator expertise.

Main Methods:

• Sixty operators with diverse experience levels performed both conventional and digital impressions on the same patient.
• Impression times were meticulously recorded for each step and in total.
• Operator satisfaction (applicability, comfort, hygiene), stress levels (STAI-TX1), and technique preference were assessed using validated scales and questionnaires.

Main Results:

• A significant interaction between operator experience and impression technique affected impression time and comfort.
• Operator experience significantly impacted applicability, while impression technique influenced hygiene scores.
• Digital scans were preferred by operators experienced in both conventional and digital methods; those experienced only in conventional methods showed no preference.

Conclusions:

• Operator experience and impression technique significantly influence impression time, comfort, applicability, and hygiene.
• Operator stress levels were not significantly affected by the impression technique or experience level.
• Digital scanning is preferred by operators with experience in both techniques, while those with only conventional experience showed no strong preference.