Advances in Dental Impression Materials

Dental Impression Materials: Essential Tools for Precision Dentistry

Dental impression materials serve as critical components in modern restorative and prosthetic dentistry, 

enabling clinicians to accurately replicate intraoral structures for the fabrication of crowns, bridges, dentures, 

and other dental appliances. These materials have evolved significantly from traditional alginates to advanced elastomers and digital solutions, offering varying degrees of precision, handling characteristics, and clinical applications.

Contemporary impression systems can be broadly categorized into:

1. Hydrocolloids (irreversible alginates and reversible agar)

2. Elastomeric materials (vinyl polysiloxanes, polyethers, and polysulfides)

3. Digital impression systems (intraoral scanners)