Impression in

removable partial
denture
Goals of the Impression Techniques for
the RPD
 Clinical Procedures –two impressions: master cast and design
cast.
 Record all tooth and alveolar surfaces
 Surfaces that will contact the RPD framework
 Occluding tooth surfaces
 Critical landmarks: retromolar pads, hamular notch, vestibular
depths and edentulous regions
Importance of impression
 Allow a definite path of insertion
 Precise determination of
support ,retention and stability from the
abutment teeth and edentulous ridge
 Types of impression material
Alginate
 Material of choice
 Especially effective if there
are lots of soft tissue
undercuts and/or teeth with
different axial alignments
 Cross arch accuracy, surface
detail, hydrophillic
properties are great
advantages
 Cost effective and setting
time is ideal
 More easily removed from
the stone cast than PVS or
rubber base
 Preliminary impression for
partially edentulous patients
 It is a negative reproduction of remaining teeth
surfaces , border tissues ,and the entire
denture bearing area , for the purpose of
making a diagnostic cast
I- Preliminary impression for partially
edentulous patients
 Selection of Stock Tray
 Posterior extension – add wax when necessary, check with mirror and
mouth movements.

 Mandible - Always add periphery wax on lingual surface of tray, from

bicuspid back to assist in displacing the tongue.

 Maxilla – Add wax to posterior palatal border.

 Warm wax for fitting, then chill with water prior to impression.
 Inspect Patient & Impression
 Check patient
 Inspect areas that the framework contacts
(rests, guide planes, major/minor connector
 Disinfect the impression, instructor approval
within 5 minutes
 Pour immediately!

Imbibition – distortion by water absorbtion.

Syneresis – loss of water and shrinkage distortion.
 Care of Impressions and Making Casts

• Carefully rinse the

impression with cold tap
water in order to remove
saliva* from the surface of
the impression

Failure to do so will result in a cast with a soft or chalky surface.

*Saliva can be identified on the cast by sprinkling stone on

the impression and gently rinsing it away with tap water.
Trouble Shooting of Impressions and Making
Casts
Problem Probable cause
• Saliva in the impression when
Surface of the
cast was poured
cast soft or • Improper water powder ratio
chalky
used
• Water from rinsing remains in
impression
Distorted cast • Impression material separated from
the tray
• Air inclusion in impression that
distorts when stone is poured
 Care of Impressions and Making Casts
Pouring the cast
 Measure the required amounts of water and powder
 Carefully mix the stone in a vacuum power mixer
 Using gentle vibration, flow the stone into the indentations in the
impression formed by the teeth.
 Use a small brush to avoid trapping air
 The bottom surface of the cast should be rough to facilitate
attachment of the base
 Suspend the poured impression by the handle in the tray holder
 Once the stone is fully set invert the cast and add a base. The
base should be 10-15 mm thick.
 After 60 minutes of the first pour, separate the impression
from the cast.
Importance of diagnostic cast
 Occluded diagnostic cast are used to
analyze existing occlusion
 The degree of overclosure ,the
amount of available interocclusal
space and presence of occlusal
interferences are detected
 Importance of diagnostic cast
Surveying the diagnostic cast is important to
detect :
 Parallelism or lack of parallelism of tooth
surfaces involved
 Retentive and non retentive areas of the
abutment teeth
 Areas of interference to placement and
removal
 The needed mouth preparation
Importance of diagnostic cast
Precautions in handling alginate
impression

 …………………………..?.
RPD Final Impression
 Preparation for Impressions
 All tooth preparations must be completed prior
to final impressions
 RPD Final Impression

 The final impression is made after the

different steps of mouth preparation
have been carried out.
 Two types of final impression
techniques can be used in RPD:

 Anatomic Form.
 Physiologic or functional form.
PURPOSE – TOOTH-BORNE
R.P.D. IMPRESSION

To accurately record the anatomic form of

the remaining teeth, their surrounding
structures and the residual ridges of the
dental arch.
 Anatomic Form Impression
 It is mostly used in tooth supported RPD cases.
 It is a one-stage impression, made using an
elastic impression material.
 The cast produced represents the hard and soft
tissues at rest. It does not represent a
functional relation between the various
supporting structures of the partially
edentulous mouth.
Tooth Supported RPD

-Abutment teeth border all edentulous areas

-The occlusal forces are transmitted towards the
long axis of the abutment teeth through occlusal,
lingual or incisal rests. The edentulous ridge will not
contribute to RPD support.
Maxillary arch
Custom tray for alginate
impression material
Differences:
1. Thickness of the wax spacer
(2mm for rubber and silicone and
4-mm for alginate).
2. Retention holes on the tray or
tray adhesive.

Mandibular arch
Custom tray for
rubber base/impression m
Wax Spacer for the alginate custom tray:

Adapt two layers of base plate

wax to provide enough space
for alginate bulk

The wax spacer is short of the

vestibule
Mix the correct proportions of autopolymerizing
acrylic resin ( powder : monomer= 3:1)
When the resin mix is no longer stringy and can be handled without
adhering to the fingers, form it into a wafer size and adapt on the cast
Maintain a uniform thickness of 2-3 mm for rigidity
Remove the gross excess with a sharp knife while the resin is still soft
Form the handle with excess resin. Place additional monomer on the
handle and tray to provide a satisfactory union
Mandibular arch:
Custom tray for rubber base/or
PVS impression material

Only one layer of wax spacer

is needed.

Wax spacer is short of the

vestibule.

Apply the Alcote seperating

medium onto the cast
 Custom tray for the rubber base
impression material:
Perforations on the tray are not
necessary as the adhesive
provides reliable retention

Extra clearance for

the lingual frenum
Final Impression

To avoid bubbles use your finger to apply alginate

impression material to rests, guide planes, occlusal
 Seat the tray slowly surfaces and the the gingival margins.
into position
 Gently massage the
peripheral areas
 Hold tray until ready
for removal
 Remove impression
in a “snap”
movement
 The physiologic or functional
Impression
 If a distal extension PD were constructed
from an anatomic impression it would exert
excessive pressure on the abutment teeth
during function.
Different Displacement Between PDL & Mucosa
Periodontal ligament Mucosa
(0.25mm) (2.0mm)

The DEB RPD present a unique situation, it is relies upon

two entirely different sources of support. The tooth represent
a relatively immobile support, while mucosa is displaceable
to varying degree.
Extension Base Removable Partial Dentures
The main objective in an impression for distal extension is to
provide maximum support for the RPD, maintaining occlusal
contact to help distribute the occlusal forces over the natural
and artificial teeth and minimizing movement of the base that
may create leverage on the abutment teeth.
 Factors influencing support of the
distal extension base
 Contour and quality of the residual ridge
 The extent of residual ridge coverage
 Design of RPD
 The total occlusal load applied
 Accuracy of fit of the denture base
 Accuracy of impression registration
 Factors influencing support of the
distal extension base
 Contour and quality of the residual
ridge
The best foundation to give denture support
is provided by a broad round ridge crest
formed from cancellous bone and covered by
cortical bone and dense fibrous connective
tissue.
 Factors influencing support of the
distal extension base

 The extent of residual ridge coverage

The broader the coverage, the greater the
distribution of load/ per unit area.
 Factors influencing support of the
distal extension base

 Design of RPD:
use of an indirect retainer
 Factors influencing support of the
distal extension base

 The total occlusal load applied:

 Maximum coverage of the ridge.
 Narrowing the occlusal table of the artificial teeth
will reduce the load transmitted .
 Increasing the efficiency of artificial teeth by
supplemental grooves and sluiceways.
 Factors influencing support of the
distal extension base
 Accuracy of fit of the denture base:
Support is enhanced by the intimacy of contact of the tissues
that cover the residual ridge.
 Accuracy of impression registration:
Accurate impression making will ensure the construction of a
RPD that will accurately fit the underlying structures
and improve support.
 Objectives of impressions in
distal extension cases
Provide maximum support, and so distribute
load on as large an area as possible.

Equalize support derived from edentulous

ridges and abutment teeth.

Direct forces to the primary stress bearing

areas.
 For an impression technique to
achieve those objectives it must:

Record and relate the supporting

structures under some loading.
Distribute the load over the largest
possible area.
Record the peripheries of the bases
accurately.
 Different impression techniques
for distal extension cases:
I. The functional or physiologic impression
techniques
(prior to framework construction).
II. The selected pressure impression technique
(after framework construction).
III. The functional reline method
(after RPD construction).
I. The functional or physiologic
impression techniques
(prior to framework construction)

 a. McLean’s physiologic impression

technique.
 b. Hindel’s technique.
a. McLean’s physiologic
impression technique
McLean’s physiologic impression
technique
An acrylic special
tray is
constructed on
the study cast
covering only the
distal edentulous
ridges and
connected
together by a bar
1-2mm away from
the underlying
mucosa, gingival
margins and the
movable tissues
in the floor of the
mouth.
On the tray an occlusal rim is formed for the patient to bite on.
Before making the impression the wax rims are adjusted in
both the vertical and anteroposterior relations.
The impression is made using free flowing zinc oxide and
eugenol impression material under biting force.

Closed mouth - ZOE

Using a stock tray with modeling plastic stops in the fitting
surface of the tray, an overall alginate impression is made
with the first impression held in place with finger pressure.
From this impression a master cast is obtained on which
the framework is constructed.
McLean’s physiologic impression
technique
 The main drawback of this technique is that
the second impression is made under finger
pressure that could not record exactly the
functional displacement of the tissues that
the biting force produced.
b. Hindel’s technique

acrylic resin
special tray is
constructed
on the study
cast covering
only the distal
extension and
connected on
both sides by
a connector
Border molding of the peripheries is carried out
then an anatomic impression of the edentulous ridges
is made using ZOE under light finger pressure.
 Using a stock tray with holes in the area
corresponding to the distal extensions, an overall
alginate impression is made.
 The holes are used to maintain finger pressure on
the first impression until the alginate completely
sets. The master cast obtained from this
impression is used to construct the RPD
 b. Hindel’s technique
 The use of the tray with holes in this technique
eliminates the possibility of error arising from
incorrectly placed modeling plastic stops (in
the previous technique). However, it did not
eliminate the variable of the dentist’s
individual interpretation of what constitutes
functional loading.
 Different impression techniques
for distal extension cases:
I. The functional or physiologic impression
techniques
(prior to framework construction).
II. The selected pressure impression technique
(after framework construction).
III. The functional reline method
(after RPD construction).
 II. Selective pressure impression
technique:
 This technique helps to equalize the support between
the abutment teeth and the residual ridge, and directs
the force to the portions of the ridge that are most
capable of withstanding these forces i.e. the primary
stress bearing areas
 A. The altered cast technique
B. One stage selected pressure impression
X

technique
 A. The altered cast technique
(after framework construction).
 This impression technique is made after
construction of the framework on a cast
obtained from an anatomic impression.
 It is mainly used in mandibular class I and
II cases.
 The altered cast technique is mainly
indicated in mandibular rather than
maxillary distal extension bases, this is
because:
 Maxillary RPDs could be adequately
supported by major connectors crossing the
palate, due to the presence of adequate
stress bearing areas.
 Mandibular ridge exhibits limited stress
bearing area
 Obtaining proper peripheral extension for
the lower base is comparatively complicated
to that of maxillary bases.
 The altered cast technique, Steps:

 The framework is tried in the patient’s

mouth, and adjusted to fit accurately on the
supporting structures with the rests seated
properly on their seats and the indirect
retainers in their position.
 Altered Cast Procedure
The purpose of this is
to obtain the maximum support possible from the
edentulous area of the extension partial denture.
The casting which has been physiologically
adjusted is placed on the master cast
A single layer of baseplate wax is placed over the edentulous
area to provide a space for the impression material.
Warm the metal casting and reseat on the master cast
ensuring that all rests are well in place.
Stress bearing areas are left without relief
 An acrylic resin special tray is constructed on the ridge
area, attached mechanically to the mesh of the framework
(by seating the framework properly over the cast while the
acrylic resin is still soft)
When the plastic tray material is cured ,the
wax spacer is removed.
The plastic tray is trimmed and polished.
The framework with the tray attached to it is tried in the
patient’s mouth, making sure that the framework fits
accurately. The borders are then shortened and border
molded using green stick compound
Border molding
Vent holes are placed in the plastic tray near the finish line
for escape of excess impression material
Impression Procedure:
Light body rubber base or ZOE , Fluid wax may also be used.
Fluid waxes are waxes that are firm at room temperature and have the ability to
flow in mouth temperatures (Iowa wax no.1 and Korrecta wax no. 4). Its
drawback is that it is time consuming as it is applied layer by layer and needs
some experience.
Material is mixed, the tray is loaded, and the casting is
firmly seated on the teeth and held in position over the rests
until it is completely set
Do not place or allow movement on the edentulous area!
The trays are then loaded with the impression material
and the framework seated in the patient’s mouth. Be sure
that the occlusal rests and indirect retainers are properly
seated and maintained in position by the three fingers of
the operator (two on the main occlusal rests and one on
the indirect retainer) until complete setting of the
impression material.
 After the impression has been made and is accepted, the
distal extension areas on the master cast are sawed off
or cut off by means of a disc.
 Two cut lines are done on each side, one horizontal
distal to the last abutment and the other nearly
perpendicular to it in the lingual sulcus.
 Retentive grooves are then cut on the sides of the cast
along the cut off areas.
Trim the impression material exactly to the metal finish line
on the tissue surface
The framework with the impression is reseated on the cast,
making sure that the framework is perfectly seated in
position with no interference anywhere. Modeling plastic
placed on the rests and indirect retainers may aid in
ensuring that no movement of the framework occurs during
pouring the new impression of the edentulous ridges.
 The impression is beaded,
boxed and the edentulous
ridge is poured with stone
preferably with a different
color than that of the
original cast

Secure the casting onto the

master cast with wax

Create mechanical retention on the master cast

The impression is beaded, boxed and the
edentulous ridge is poured with stone preferably
with a different color than that of the original cast
 The Altered Cast with the Edentulous Area Repoured
This produces ensures the best possible support and orientation
of the metal casting to the remaining teeth

Effective preventive measure to protect abutment

teeth by providing 2-3 times greater mucosal
support and minimizing denture movement.
 The functional reline method
(after RPD construction).
 It is an open mouth procedure:
 The borders are shortened and the denture base
is relieved to allow room for the impression
material.
 The tissue surface is then scraped to about 1mm
thickness.
 A mix of ZOE is then applied. The denture is
seated in the patient’s mouth and held in position
by the three fingers until complete setting of the
material.
 An overall alginate impression is made
and the whole impression is poured. The
denture on the obtained cast is flasked and
relining procedure is completed.
 It is essential that occlusal errors are
adjusted, so the relined denture should be
remounted and occlusion adjusted.
Thank you