Impression materials

Pavel Bradna

Institute of Dental Research

Purpose
To prepare accurate and true replicas of oral
structures (teeth, mucosa)

The replica is prepared in 2 steps:

Step 1. Making a negative (impression)

Step 2. Prepare a model or a cast -
accurate positive

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 Requirements
1. Capable of plastic to rigid body transformation
2. Acceptable for a patient
- non-toxic, non-irritant, tasteless, reasonable
setting time up to 5-7 min
3. Good handling properties – easy to prepare/mix
plastic before set, but viscous enough not to flow
out of a tray (thixotropic), adequate working and
setting times
After being set:
4. Accuracy and detail reproduction (25-50µm),
5. Dimensionally stable
6. Resistant to mechanical stress - elastic and rigid
7. Compatible with model materials
8. Resistant to disinfectant solutions
9. Cost effective

Important terms

• Elastic/plastic deformations
• Strength
• Pseudoplastic/thixotropic
• Hydrophilic/hydrophobic
• Working time
• Setting time

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 Elasticity/plasticity
elastic/plastic deformation
Describes behaviour of material under load
Region of elastic
deformations,
Hook‘s law applies
stress (force/m2)

Region of plastic
deformations

Maximum load at
fracture – ultimate
strength

Deformation
Slope – Young‘s modulus, Proportional limit
modulus of elasticity

Mechanical model of elastic behaviour

A spring – ideally elastic behaviour (Hook‘s law)
Deformation

When unloaded
!fully recovers!
No load Unloaded
Deformation

5N

Loaded
t1 t2
loaded unloaded

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 Mechanical model of plastic behaviour
A dashpot – ideally plastic behaviour

Plastic =
permanent/irreversible

Deformation
deformation
Permanent
deformation

t1 t2
When unloaded loaded unloaded
!No recovery!

Recovery from deformation

combination of a spring and a dashpot – a model of
viscoelasticity
Loaded for a Loaded for
Plastic/permanent
short time a long time
deformation
deformation

Pouring after
material
relaxation

t1 < t2
Time

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 The effect of recovery from deformation
on the accuracy of a model

99% 95% % Recovery

from
Deformation

deformation

Time
Plastic
deformation

Pseudoplasticity/thixotropy of fluids

Slope- Gradually loaded

viscosity

Gradually unloaded
Stress τ

Thixotropic (structure is
„broken“ under shear

Gradually unloaded
Pseudoplastic
.
τ = ηγ .
Rate of deformation γ

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 Hydrophilic/hydrophobic
Contact
angle

Hydrophobic material Hydrophilic material

(α>90o)
unable to wet humid able to wet humid surfaces
surfaces
Does not copy the wet surface

Examples of clinical significance of pseudoplastic

properties, hydrophilicity and high mechanical
resistance (tear strength) of impression materials

Impression
material

Prepared
Compromised flow in small
tooth details - too high viscosity
Fracture and lost detail due
to low strength
and hydrophobicity

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 Working time – a period from the start of mixing to
the final time at which the impression can be seated
in the mouth without its distorsion

Setting time – a period from the start of mixing

till the impression becomes elastic enough to
resist deformation during its withdrawal from the
mouth

Classification of impression materials

Irreversible Reversible
Inelastic/rigid ZnO-eugenol (ZOE) Impression com-
Impression plaster pounds

Elastic Alginate Agar hydrocolloid

Elastomeric:
Polysulfide
Polyether
Silicone

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 Inelastic/rigid impression
materials
A. Irreversible

1. Zinc-oxide eugenol impression

pastes (ZOE)
Main indications: impression of edentulous ridges,
surgical dressing

Setting reaction:

chelate structure
-OH and methoxy groups

A two-paste system composed of:

Paste A – ZnO/mineral or vegetable oil as a
plasticizer
Paste B – oil of cloves with app. 85 % of eugenol or
pure eugenol, resins and fillers,
accelerators
H2O, acetic acid, Zn acetate

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 Comparison of viscosity changes during ZOE setting

Silicone impression materials

Low viscosity of ZOE

impression pastes – enables
mucostatic impressions

ZOE

rigidity
Edentulous ridges - low
viscosity is favourable to
avoid displacement of Silicone
tissues

Advantages:
1. Low viscosity – no compression of soft tissues
2. Dimensional stability (shrinkage less than 0.1 %)
3. Good surface detail reproduction
4. Low price

Disadvantages:
1. Cannot be used in deep undercuts
2. Eugenol allergy in some patients (o-ethoxy
benzoic acid [EBA] to replace eugenol)

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 2. Impression plaster
Main indication: impression of edentulous ridges

Setting reaction:
CaSO4.0.5H2O + 1.5H2O CaSO4.2H2O + heat +expansion

Composition: app. 0.1 lin %

CaSO4 . 0.5H2O β-hemihydrate

Potassium sulfate – to reduce expansion but accelerates
setting
Borax – a retarder to prolonge setting time
Diatomaceous earth, quartz, lime - to make the plaster
more brittle

Advantages:
1. Cheap and long shelf life, easy to prepare
2. Very good surface detail reproduction
3. Excellent dimensional stability

Disadvantages:
1. Very rigid – often need to be fractured when
removed from the mouth
2. Fractures if undercuts are present
3. Non-toxic but may dry soft tissues - unpleasant to
patients

Old fashioned – not frequently used

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 B. Reversible
3. Impression compounds
(Kerr‘s, Stent‘s impression compounds)

Thermoplastic material (softens when heated to 50oC

and hardens on cooling) for making impressions of
edentulous ridge, tooth impressions in a copper band

Composition:
1. Resins (wax, shellac, guttapercha)
2. Filler (talc)
3. Lubricants (stearic acid, stearin)

Advantages:
1. Can be reused, easy to use
2. Non-irritant and non-toxic

Disadvantages
1. Poor dimensional stability
2. Easy to distort when withdrawn from the
mouth

Old fashioned – not frequently used

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 Elastic impression materials
A. Hydrocolloid impression materials
B. Elastomeric impression materials
Irreversible
Hydrocolloid
Reversible
Polysulfide

Elastomeric (non-aqueous) Silicone - condensation

(irreversible) - addition

Polyethers

A. Hydrocolloid impression materials

Hydrocolloid – a colloidal system (particle size up to
app. 0.5 µm) with water as a dispersion medium
so called HYDROCOLLOID SOL that can be
tranformed to a semisolid GEL

Setting reaction
Cooling
reversible/agar sol Heating gel
Coagulation
irreversible/alginate sol gel

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 B. Irreversible hydrocolloid
Alginate impression materials
(Irreversible hydrocolloid impression material,
preliminary, orthodontic impressions etc.)

Based on natural polysaccharide – Na+, K+, triethanol amine

alginate salts (isolated from brown seaweeds)

Constituent units

Alginate chains M = 30 – 150 000

Form viscous sols and gels after
addition of Ca+2 ions

Setting/gelation reaction:
H2O
NanAlg + CaSO4 nNa2SO4 + CanAlg2
powder gel

Egg-box structure
Cross-linked structure of alginate gels

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 Composition:
1. Na/K alginate
2. Calcium sulfate (CaSO4.2H2O, CaSO4.1/2 H2O)
3. Diatomaceous earth (amorphous SiO2)
4. Retarder – phosphates prolonge working time
2Na3PO4 + 3CaSO4 3Na2SO4 + Ca3(PO4)2
5. Setting accelerator - K2TiF6 (makes also stone surface
hard)
6. Additives – glycol, paraffin oils – to agglomerate particles
and make material „dustless“

Mixing ratio powder/water app. 10 g/20 mL

Properties:
1. Set after mixing with water
2. Shrink due to loss of water by Syneresis –
expression of water from the surface of
impression (if contains Na2SO4 – decreased
quality of stone surface); by Evaporation of
water from the surface
3. Imbibition – sorption of water causing a
dimensional change
4. Chromatic phase indicator may be incorporated to
signal the impression setting

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 Store in a closed
container with a
towel saturated
with water

Dimensional changes of a cast prepared from

alginate impression stored in various environments
Phillips‘ Science of Dental materials

Dimensional changes of a cast prepared from

various alginate materials with storage time
RH=100 %/23oC
1.00 Ypeen Premium
Ypeen
Phase Standard
0.80 Hydrogum types
Elastic
Dimensional changes lin %

0.60

0.40
Prolonged
pouring
0.20 time

0.00
0 5 10 15 20 25
Time /hours

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 Dependence of pH and rigidity on time

8.5 150
Blue - violet
7.5 Pink
White 100

r ig id ity
6.5
Setting
pH

50
5.5

4.5 0
0:00 2:00 4:00 6:00 8:00 10:00 12:00 14:00
time [min]
Acid-base colour indicators (phenolftalein/thymolphtalein)

5 sec 35 sec

1 min 30 sec 2 min

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 Most frequently used impression material
Advantages:
1. Very good biological tolerance
2. Easy to use and mix
3. Fast setting
4. Low price
Disadvantages:
1. Poor dimensional stability
2. Setting dependent on water temperature and water
hardness
3. Although 100 h pouring time is also recommended they
should be poured as soon as possible
4. Sometimes problems with a model stone compatibility

B. Reversible hydrocolloid
Agar impression materials
(Reversible hydrocolloid impression material)

Based on thermoreversible gelation of natural polysaccharide

– agar (isolated from red algae/seaweeds)

Agarose, is a strongly Agaropectin, is more

gelling, non-ionic complex polysaccharide
polysaccharide having sulfate groups
1,3- linked β-D-galactopyranose and
1,4-linked 3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactopyranose units

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 Gelation:
Agar sols form gels upon cooling of a hot solution to (30 – 40)°C

Agar gels melt to sols upon heating to (90 – 95)°C

Sol Gelation I Gelation II

aggregation of
random coils Double helices helices

Composition:
1. Agar
2. Borax to increase the gel strength
3. Potassium sulfate as a gypsum hardener
4. Water – dispersion medium

Supplied in two forms – in tubes and cartridges

Tray material Filled tray

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 100oC 65oC 45oC

Material in syringes Compartments for liquefying 100oC,

applied to teeth storage 65oC and tempering the
material in a tray at 45oC
Advantages:
1. Very good biological properties
2. Excellent surface detail reproduction
Disadvantages:
1. Need special equipment (water bath) and
special technique
2. Dimensionally instable - evaporation or imbibition
3. Low strength and poor tear resistance
4. Slow setting time

Other applications of hydrocolloid

materials

Reversible hydrocolloid impression

materials are used as duplicating materials
to prepare dental cast models (gypsum or
from investment materials)

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 C. Elastomeric (non-aqueous)
impression materials
Synthetic polymers with rubber properties after setting

Polysulfide

Elastomeric (non-aqueous) Silicone - condensation

(irreversible) - addition

Polyethers

Main indications
· impressions for partial prostheses (removable)
   

· impressions for crowns and bridges (fixed)

   

· impressions for implantology

   

Polymerization shrinkage of elastomers is

usually compensated for using a combination
of:
1. Highly filled-viscous material „Putty“
for preliminary impression (low polymer
content - of low shrinkage)

2. Low filled-low viscosity „wash“ or

„light“ impression material (high
polymer content - higher elasticity but
higher shrinkage)

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 Polysulfide impression materials
(Thiokol rubbers, mercaptan rubbers)
The very first elastomeric impression material

Based on reaction between polymer with free

mercaptan (-SH) groups and oxidizing agent PbO2
which lenghtens and cross-links chains via reaction
of terminal and pendant -SH groups)

Setting reaction:
Linear polysulfide polymer

HS SH HS HS
SH O HS
SH HS
SH HS
SH HS

Catalyst -H2O -S – S-
PbO2 PbO + O
Cross-linked
Water released polymer
increases
contraction

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 Composition:

Supplied in a two-paste system

Base paste:
polysulfide polymer, filler, plasticizer

Catalyst paste:
lead dioxide, sulfur, inert oil

Volume mixing ratio 1:1

Advantages:

1. Low price
2. Long working time

Disadvantages:

1. Should be poured within 0.5 – 1 hour

2. Lead oxide may cause toxic effects
3. Unpleasant mercaptane smell
4. Long setting time app. to 10 min
5. Poor elastic recovery – prone to plastic deformation

Old fashioned – not frequently used

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 Polyether impression materials

Based on cross-linking of polyether chains via

cationic polymerization of aziridine rings using a
aromatic sulfonate ester as an initiator

Initiation:

+ R+

SO3R SO3-

Propagation:
Hydrophilic part
Linear polymer (ethylene oxide units)

CH3-CH-CO-O-[CHR-(CH2)n –O]m-O-CO-CH-CH3

N Ring opening N
+ R+
CH2 CH2 CH2 CH2

aziridine - N-R
rings +CH CH2
N + 2

CH2 CH2

Cross-linked structure

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 Composition:
Supplied in a two-paste system

Base paste:
• Polyether
• Filler, plasticizer

Catalyst paste:
• Sulphonic acid ester
• Inert oil
• Filler

Advantages:
1. Naturally hydrophillic
2. Accurate and high dimensional stability
3. Good elastic recovery
4. Low setting contraction
5. Excellent surface detail reproduction

Disadvantages:

1. Rather stiff when set material (difficult to remove

from mouth)
2. Very expensive
3. May cause allergic reaction due to the sulphonic acid
ester

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 Silicone impression materials

C-silicone impression materials

(condensation silicones)

Based on cross-linking polycondensation reaction of

hydroxy terminated polysiloxane prepolymer with
tetra alkoxy silanes catalyzed by dibutyl-tin
dilaurate (DBTD)

Setting reaction - polycondensation

…

…
…

O O O O
…..O Si OH HO Si …..O 4C2H5OH …..O Si O O Si …..O

O + Si(OC2H5)4 O O Si O
…..O
Si OH DBTD HO Si …..O …..O Si O O Si …..O

O O O O
…

Linear polymer Cross-linked polymer

Alcohol releases from the reaction mixture and

contributes to contraction/shrinkage of the impression

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 Composition:
Supplied as a two-component system
Base paste:
• Hydroxyterminated polysiloxane polymer
• Filler (cristobalite, talc, starch)

Catalyst:
Liquid catalyst:
• Cross-linking agent (e.g tetraethoxy silane) +
activator (dibutyl-tin dilaurate)
Paste catalyst:
• Cross-linking agent, activator, inert oil
• Filler

Advantages:
1. Accurate impressions when poured soon
2. Good elastic recovery
3. Lower price

Disadvantages:
1. Hydrophobic
2. Shrinking of impression over time, pouring time till 4 h
3. Catalyst may cause allergic reaction
4. Difficult to dispense proper volumes of both
components
5. Usually hand-mix version only

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 A-silicone impression materials
(addition silicones, vinyl siloxane, poly(vinyl siloxane))

Impression material, duplicating material,

relining material, bite registration material,
root canal sealer
Based on cross-linking polyaddition reaction of vinyl
terminated polysiloxane polymer with
methylhydrogen silicone cross-linking agent in the
presence of platinium catalyst

Setting reaction - polyaddition

CH3 O
CH3 O
…..O Si CH2-CH2 Si CH3
…..O Si CH=CH2 + H Si CH3
CH3 O CH3 Pt CH3 O CH3

CH2=CH Si CH3 Si CH2-CH2 Si

CH3 Si H +
CH3 O CH3
CH3 O CH3
…..O Si CH2-CH2 Si CH3
…..O Si CH=CH2 + H Si CH3
CH3
CH3

Vinyl Cross- Cross-linked polymer

polymer linking agent

Pt may release H2 from water or –OH

groups from the reaction mixture causing
bubbles on a gypsum model

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 Composition:
Supplied as a two-component 1:1 system
Base paste:
1. Vinyl terminated polysiloxane polymer
2. Pt catalyst
3. Filler (cristobalite, talc)
4. Surfactant (hydrophilic agent)

Catalyst:
1. Vinyl terminated polysiloxane polymer
2. Cross-linking agent
3. Filler, silicone oil (adjust viscosity of
duplicating materials)

Advantages:
1. Accurate impressions, very low shrinkage
2. Very good surface detail
3. Highly elastic
4. Perfect elastic recovery
5. Dimensionally stable
6. Non-toxic and non-irritant

Disadvantages:
1. Hydrophobic – necessary to add a surfactant
2. Setting inhibited by latex gloves or some
adstringents (sulfur, heavy metals)
3. Hydrogen release – surface bubbles – pouring time
1 h after removal from the mouth
4. High price

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 Typical properties of elastic impression materials

Property Algi- Agar Polysulfide Polyether C-silicone A-silicone

nate
No of components 1 1 2 pastes 2 pastes 2 pastes 2 pastes
powder
Working time 1.5 - 4-7 2-3 2-4 2-4
[min]
Setting time 3-4 3-5 7-10 5-6 5-8 4-7
[min]
Contraction [lin %] 0.5 0.01 0.4-0.5 0.2-0.3 0.2-1.0 0.01-0.2
after 24 h
Recovery from 96 98.8 94.5-96.9 98.3-99.0 97.2-99.6 99.0-99.9
deformation [%]
Detail 50 25 25 25 25 25
reproduction [µm]
Hydrogen release N N N N N Y

Contact angle [o] Very Very 82 50-60 98 70*-80

low low
Relative cost Very high low Very high lower high
low

*Hydrophilic types
Partly from Phillips‘ Science of dental materials

Examples of typical packages of impression

materials

Putty Light
Light

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