Elastic impression materials-

Dr Lekshmy ar
First year pg
Contents

Introduction
Definition
Classification
Composition
Manipulation
Properties
Advantages and disadvantages
Introduction

• Used to record intraoral structures for the fabrication of definitive

restorations.

• It should reproduce hard and soft tissues accurately to obtain

biologically, mechanically, functionally, and aesthetically
acceptable restorations
Definition

Impression : A negative likeness or copy in reverse of the

surface of an object; an imprint of the teeth and adjacent
structures for use in dentistry (GPT 9)

Impression material : Any substance or combination of

substances used for making an impression or negative
reproduction (GPT 9)
An ideal impression material should have the following requirements

 Pleasant taste & odour

 Not contain any toxic & irritating ingredients
 Adequate shelf life
 Easy to disinfect without loss of accuracy
 Compatible with die and cast material
 Dimensional stability
 Good elastic properties
 Easy manipulation
 Adequate setting characteristics
 High degree of reproduction details
 Adequate strength
 Economical.
Classification
Elastic impression material

Hydrocolloids Non-aqueous elastomers

Polysulfide

Condensation silicone
Reversible Irreversible
Addition silicone
Agar Alginate
Polyether
Colloidal state
Fourth state of matter, somewhere between the smaller molecules of a
solution and the larger particles of a suspension..

 Solution- A homogeneous mixture consisting of a single phase

 Colloid - A heterogeneous mixture of not readily differentiated two phases
 Suspension - A mixture of two distinct phases
Colloid has two phase
Dispersed phase
Dispersion medium

Dispersed phase Dispersion medium Type

Solid Liquid Sol

Solid Gas Solid aerosol
Liquid Liquid Emulsion
Liquid Gas Aerosol
Gas Liquid Foam
Gas Solid Solid foam
What is hydrocolloid?
Colloid that contains water as the dispersion phase

Hydrocolloid impression material are based on colloidal

suspensions of polysaccharides in water.

Exists in two forms

• Sol form - fluid with low viscosity
• Gel form - a jelly like elastic semisolid
Gelation

There is a phase change from

Sol Gel

• Gel state - The dispersed phase agglomerates to form a chain or fibrils or

micelles

• Fibrils form a “brush heap structure”

• The dispersion medium is held in the interstices between the fibrils by

capillary attraction
Types of hydrocolloid impression material

Based on the mode of gelation:

Reversible – Agar
• Secondary bonds hold the fibrils together
• Bonds break at slightly elevated temperatures and become
re-established

Irreversible – Alginate
• Fibrils are formed by chemical action
Imbibition

Process of water sorption i.e. the gel swells when placed in water

Syneresis

Exuding of fluid on to the surface of gel structure

Liquefaction Temperature

Temperature at which gel changes to sol (70 -100°C)

Gelation Temperature

Temperature at which sol changes to gel (37-50°C)

Hysteresis

Temperature lag between the gelation temperature and the

liquefaction temperature of the gel is known as hysteresis
REVERSIBLE HYDROCOLLOID – AGAR

• Agar is an organic hydrophilic colloid (polysaccharides) extracted

from certain types of seaweed
- Sulfuric ester of linear polymer of galactose

• 1937 – Agar was introduced by Sears.

1,3- linked â-D-glucopyranose and 1,4-linked 3,6-anhydro-

á-L-galactopyranose
Composition
Manipulation

Agar hydrocolloid requires special equipment

 Hydrocolloid Conditioning unit

 Water cooled rim lock trays
 Impression syringes
 Connecting water hose
 Agar tray material
 Agar syringe material
Conditioning unit
-- is a thermostatically controlled unit having 3 compartments:

• Boiling/ Liquefaction compartment--- water at 1000C.

• Storing compartment --- water at 650c
• Tempering/conditioning compartment --- water at 460C.
Water cooled rim lock trays
Steps in impression preparation
 Liquefaction - at 100 0 C
 Store in 65 0C
 Load agar in tray
 Temper at 46 0C
 Seat in patient’s mouth
 Circulating cool water of 18 0C – 21 0C for 5mins
 Remove the impression
 Pour the mold material
Strength

• The tear strength of agar - 0.8 to 0.9 kN/m

• Compressive strength- 0.5 to 0.9 gm/cm2

 Factors affecting strength

1. The composition –agar concentration, borax and filler content

2. The temperature – the lower the temperature greater the strength
Compatibility with Gypsum

More compatible than alginates

Dimensional stability

•Less stable due to imbibition and syneresis

•Cast to be poured immediately

Elasticity

Highly elastic and elastic recovery occurs to the extent of 98.8%

Advantages
• Accurate dies can be prepared , if the material is properly handled

• Good elastic properties help to reproduce most undercut areas

• Hydrophilic - displace moisture, blood, fluids

• It is palatable and well tolerated by the patient

• Economical compared to synthetic elastic materials

• Can be reused when used as duplicating material

Disadvantages

• It cannot be electroplated

• Tears easily. Greater gingival retraction is required for providing

adequate thickness of the material

• Has to be poured immediately ,cannot be stored for too long.

• Requires special and expensive equipment.

• Although it can be reused , it is impossible to sterilize the material.

Irreversible hydrocolloid – Alginate
• Developed by S. William Wilding in 1941

• As a substitute to agar during World War II

• Alginic acid prepared from marine brown sea weed

Examples
◦ Jeltrate (Dentsply/Caulk)
◦ Coe Alginate (GC America)
(a) β-D-mannuronic acid. (b) α-L-guluronic acid.
(c) Structural formula of sodium alginate molecule
 Composition

Composition Component Function Weight

percentage
Sodium/potassium/ Dissolves in water and reacts 15%
triethanolamine alginate with calcium ions

Calcium sulphate Reactor 16%

Zinc oxide Filler particles 4%
Potassium titanium fluoride Accelerator 3%
Diatomaceous earth Filler particles 60%
Sodium phosphate Retarder 2%
Colouring and Give colouring change when Traces
flavouring agent setting is complete
Setting reaction
 A reaction of soluble alginate with calcium sulphate and the formation
of an insoluble calcium alginate gel

Na alginate + CaSO4 Ca alginate + Na2SO4

(Powder) (Gel)

 Irreversible chemical reaction

 Working and setting times are determined by the rate of release of

calcium ions
(CaSO4).2H2O 2Ca2+ + 2SO42- + H20
Retarder

•Calcium ions will react preferentially with the phosphate ions to form an
insoluble calcium phosphate

2Na3PO4 + 3CaSO4 Ca3(PO4) 2+3Na2SO4

Water powder ratio

•16g of powder is mixed with 38ml of water- gelation in 3 to 4 minutes

Controlling setting time

•Type-I : Fast setting (1.5- 3 minutes)

•Type-II : Normal setting (3 – 4.5 minutes)

Comparison Of Regular And Fast Set Alginate

Regular set Fast Set
Mixing Time 1 min 45 sec
Working Time 3 min 1.25 to 2 min
Setting Time 3 to 4.5 min 1.5 to 3 min
• Manufacturers adjust the concentration of sodium phosphate to produce
regular and fast-set alginates

• Setting time can be altered by change in temperature of the water

• Higher the temperature, faster the setting

• 1-minute reduction in setting time occurs for each 100 C temperature

increase
Decky J.Indrani and Niti Matram, change in setting time of alginate impression
material with different water temperature
Seven groups of dough alginate were prepared by mixing alginate powder and water, each
using a temperature between 13° C–28° C with a interval of 2.5° C. A sample mold was placed
on a flat plate and filled with dough alginate. flat end of a polished acrylic rod was placed in
contact with the surface of dough alginate. Setting time of alginate was measured from the
starting of the mix to the time when the alginate does not adhere to the end of the rod.
Conclusion: Water temperature between 13° C–28°C with a difference of 2.5° C produced
significant differences in alginate setting time; the lower the water temperature being used the
longer the setting time was produced
Manipulation
• Weigh powder- W/P ratio (16 g powder, 38 ml water)

• Powder added to water

• Rubber bowl

• Vacuum mixer

• Mixed for 45 sec to 1 min

• Place tray

• Remove after 2 to 3 minutes or after gelation

Alternatives to Hand Mixing

• Two alternatives exist for mixing alginates other than

manual manipulation of the impression material.

• The Alginator and the Vac-U-Mix automatically mix the

alginate through the use of motorized electrical
equipment
Impression trays
Stock trays-perforated – 20 holes per Sq. Inch,
distance between holes – 2mm
Tray adhesives for alginate
Liquid/Spray containing

• Diethylene triamine polymer

• Polyamide
• Rosin in isopropyl alcohol
• Isopropyl alcohol + ethyl acetate

Fix solvents - used to remove this adhesive

Properties
Flexibility

 ANSI/ADA Specification permits a range of 5% to 20% at a stress of

0.1MPa and most alginates have a value of 14%.

Elastic recovery

Recovery >95% when the material is compressed 20% for 5 seconds.

Alginate – 98.2%
Strength

• Compressive strength - 0.5 to 0.9 Mpa

• Tear strength range from 0.37 to 0.69 Mpa

Time for gelation(min) Compressive strength(kPa)

0 330
4 770
8 810
12 710
16 740

• Alginate impression should not be removed from the mouth for at

least 3min after gelation has occurred
Shelf Life
• One year
• It deteriorates rapidly at high temperature

Reproduction of tissue details

• Low when compared with agar
Dimensional Stability
• It has poor dimensional stability because of either syneresis
or imbibition
• Impressions should be stored in 100% relative humidity
 Storage medium
 2% potassium sulfate solution, or 100% relative humidity in a
storage chamber

Percent change in water content according to weight of an agar impression material in

various storage media, At 100% relative humidity the percent change is minimal
Working time
The working time of alginate is determined by the help of the
penetrometer (from the start of mixing to the start of gelation)
Fast set : 1.25 – 2mins
Regular set : 2 – 4.5mins

Setting time
• The initial setting time of alginate is determined by placing a flat
Polymeric cylindrical rod in contact
• The cylinder is withdrawn and is repeated till no alginate is sticking to its
surface
Taste and Odour
• Pleasant taste and odour

Compatibility of agar and alginate with gypsum

• Agar and alginate cause retardation of gypsum
• Overcome by immersing the impression in a solution of gypsum
accelerator (2% potassium sulphate)
• Incorporating a plaster hardener
Disinfection
• 1% Sodium Hypochlorite or 2% Glutaraldehyde < 10min
immersion or sprayed with disinfectant

• Current protocol (by centre for disease control and prevention)

 Use of household bleach (1-10 dilution)

 Iodophor
 Synthetic phenol
Advantages
 Easy to mix and manipulate
 Minimum requirement of equipment
 Hydrophilic ,gives good surface detail even in saliva
 Low cost
 Comfortable to the patient
 Hygienic ,as fresh material must be used
 It records fine details in patients with undercuts
 Good surface details are recorded even in patients with excessive
salivation
Disadvantages

 Cannot be electroplated so metal dies are not possible

 Poor dimensional stability-cannot be stored for long time
 Poor tear strength
Modifications of alginate

1.Dustless alginate

• Alginate impression material can cause silicosis and pulmonary

hypersensitivity
• Dustless alginates were introduced which give off or no dust particles so
avoiding dust inhalation
• This can be achieved by coating the material with glycerine or glycol. This
causes the powder to become more denser than in uncoated state
2.Low dust alginate

• Introduced by Schunichi, Nobutakwatanate in 1997

• This of comprises sepiolite and a tetrafluoroethylene resin

• The material generates less dust, has a mean particle size of

1-40microns
3.Antiseptic alginate
• Introduced by Tameyuki Yamamoto, Maso Abinu patented in 1990

• An antiseptic containing alginate impression material

• Contains 0.01 to 7 parts by weight of an antiseptic such as glutaraldehyde

and chlorhexidine gluconate

• The antiseptic may be encapsulated in a microcapsule or clathrate in

cyclodextrin.
4.Chromatic alginate

• The alginate impression material with pH indicators

• Avoid confusion about setting time.
• pH of fluid mass changes during setting
• Inorganic or organic pigments – cresol red,
naphtholphthalein, thymol blue
Eg: KromaFaze (Dux Dental), Integra (Dux Dental)
Other modifications

 Extended pour alginate

 Two paste system
 Self disinfecting alginate
• Quaternary ammonium compound
• Bisguanidine compounds
• Chlorhexidine
• Dodecyl dimethyl ammonium compounds
Impression techniques
1. Laminate technique

Combined agar-alginate technique

• Inject agar syringe material around the prepared tooth
• Seat the tray loaded with alginate & allow it to set
• Cool alginate gels the agar
 Advantages Disadvantages

 Equipment cost is lower  Bond between agar and alginate

 Less preparation time is required is not always sound
 Alginate materials displaces the
agar during seating
2. Wet field technique

 Wet the tooth surface with warm water

 Syringe materials applied over the occlusal and incisal portion

 Seat the tray with material

 Hydraulic pressure forces the fluid material down the tooth

displacing the blood & debris
3.Triple tray technique
• In this technique one impression records both the mandibular,
maxillary arches and the occlusal relationship
Common cause of failures
Conclusion
• Accurate impressions are necessary for construction of any
dental prosthesis. The accuracy of these final restorations
depends greatly on the impression materials and techniques.
• Hydrocolloids have a high hydrophilic nature that allows this
material to capture accurate impressions in the presence of
some saliva or blood.
• It has moderate ability to reproduce detail and costs relatively
little compared with other impression materials.
• It is not accurate enough for fixed partial dentures but is used
for partial framework impression.
Reference
 Anusavice, Sheen, Rawls, Philips Science of dental materials, 12th
edition, Florida, Elsevier Health Sciences, oct 2012, pg 168 - 77.

 Craig G R, Powers J M, Sekiguchi R L Restorative Dental

Materials,13th edition, USA, Elsevier publications, 2012, pg 277- 86.

 Skinner’s science of dental materials Phillips MS, Ralph W

 Alginate impression material - A review Reshma Thirunavakarasu1,

Preetham Prasad Nittla