patient seeking treatment to replace a failing bridge expects long-term, stable results. Proper diagnosis and treatment planning as well as meticulous treatment and attention to detail enable us to provide patients with the expected results. While accuracy is important for any restoration, it is especially critical for implant procedures. It is also more difficult, given the osseointegration process. An accurate impression is vital in this procedure in order to ensure that the dental laboratory team has an accurate working model, thus enabling them to create a high quality final restoration or prosthesis and eliminating the possibility of a remake.
Many impression materials tout a fast set, but in implant cases this is not necessarily a virtue. Depending on the number of implant impression posts that must be captured, a faster setting material may not allow enough time to syringe material before the tray material begins to set. One technique that I have found useful to increase the working time for an impression is refrigerating (cooling) the impression material for a few minutes before taking the impression. This is effective at increasing the working time, but does not change the catalyst to base ratio of the material and does not compromise its accuracy.
The polyether impression material used in this case was stable and accurate enough to allow the dental technician to pour the model multiple times, enabling an accurate fit for restorative work; either for natural teeth, or for an implant-supported crown or prosthesis. This can significantly reduce adjustments at the delivery stage, saving time and ensuring a more satisfactory experience for the patient.
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