Implant Impression Making: Take-Off Guide for Beginners

Dental implants are fixtures that constitute for the replacements of the root of a missing natural tooth. Dental implant therapy has been widely used for the restoration of partially and fully edentulous patients. The implant literature emphasizes the importance of a passively fitting prosthesis to prevent prosthodontic complications or even loss of fixture integration. Failure to achieve a passively fitting prosthesis and force tightening of superstructure may result in complications such as abutment, framework, and gold screw loosening or fracture. Various materials that can be used for making an implant impression are polyether, polyvinylsiloxane, condensation silicone, polysulfide, irreversible hydrocolloid material, and various others. There are various studies in relation to the accuracy of these impression materials out of which various scientists concluded different results with most studies stating polyether with the maximum amount of dimensional accuracy in comparison to other materials. An accurate implant impression plays a significant role and serves as a starting point in the process of producing good working casts. Thus, the accuracy of impression techniques becomes a significant issue in consideration of passive fit. Reproduction of intraoral relationship of implants through impression procedures is the first step in achieving accurate fit prosthesis. This transference is still complicated by the number, angulation, depth, and position of implants. The advent of computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacturing technology improved the framework fabrication procedures and has increased the precision of fit of implant prosthesis.