Plaster, alginate, and elastomers” are all materials commonly used in dentistry for making dental impressions. Dental impressions are molds or negative replicas of a patient’s teeth and surrounding oral tissues, which are used to create accurate dental restorations, prostheses, or orthodontic appliances. Each material has its own characteristics and applications in dental practice:
- Plaster: Plaster is a gypsum-based material used in dentistry for making preliminary or study models of a patient’s dentition. Plaster models are often used for diagnostic purposes, treatment planning, and patient education. Plaster is relatively inexpensive and easy to work with, but it is not suitable for making detailed or precise impressions due to its low dimensional stability and tendency to fracture.
- Alginate: Alginate is a seaweed-derived material commonly used for making preliminary impressions of the teeth and jaws. Alginate impressions are quick and easy to make, making them suitable for use in dental offices for procedures such as fabricating custom trays or temporary restorations. Alginate impressions have good elasticity and flexibility, allowing for easy removal from the mouth, but they have limited dimensional stability and can distort over time if not poured promptly.
- Elastomers: Elastomers, also known as elastomeric impression materials, are synthetic rubber-based materials used for making final impressions of the teeth and oral tissues. Elastomeric materials include various types of silicones (e.g., addition silicones, condensation silicones), polyethers, and polysulfides. Elastomeric impressions offer excellent dimensional stability, tear strength, and detail reproduction, making them ideal for fabricating precise dental restorations, crowns, bridges, and prostheses. Elastomeric impression materials come in different viscosities (e.g., light body, medium body, heavy body) to accommodate different clinical situations and impression techniques.
