Evaluation of accuracy of different elastomeric materials in open tray implant level technique for single tooth impressions

Evaluation of accuracy of different elastomeric materials in open tray implant level technique for single tooth impressions

Purpose: This study compared the accuracy of different elastomeric impression materials with open tray implant level impression technique in a single-tooth replacement. Materials and Methods: A reference model representing a single implant with an adjacent simulated natural tooth was fabricated. Open tray implant level impressions were made with vinylpolysiloxane (light body ExpressXT, PentaputtyPentamix2, 3MESPE, Seinfield, Germany) (Group I, n=10) and polyether (medium body Impregnum Penta, Pentamix 2, 3MESPE, Seinfield, Germany), (Group II, n=10) and implant crowns were fabricated on each master cast from their respective impressions by CNC milling and connected to the reference model with 35 Ncm torque. The accuracy of the fit was evaluated by measuring the interface gap between the implant crown and the implant replica at the mesial and distal points and by measuring the proximal gap between the implant crown and the simulated natural tooth at the buccal and the palatal points by scanning electron microscopy for each test sample. The mean values were obtained and statistically analyzed using a Mann-Whitney test. Results: The interface gap observed at the mesial point was significantly higher than the distal point. The proximal gap observed at the palatal point was significantly higher than the buccal point for both Group I and Group II. A comparison of the groups showed that the interface gap at the mesial point and the proximal gap at the buccal and palatal points obtained from polyether impression material were lower than those observed with vinylpolysiloxane group, but the difference was not significant. However, the interface gap observed at the distal point was higher with the polyether group than with the vinylpolysiloxane group, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions: Polyether and vinylpolysiloxane can be used to produce open tray implant impressions for a single missing tooth.