Custom impression tray for dental implants

Omid Savabi, DDS, MS,a and Farahnaz Nejatidanesh, DDS, MSb

School of Dentistry, Esfahan University of Medical Sciences, Esfahan, Iran

An accurate impression is mandatory for achieving aprecise, definitive fixed implant-supported prosthesis.1-8

An inaccurate impression may result in the need for addi-tional clinical time or remaking the impression.1,7-10

A commonly used implant impression technique is theuse of an open custom impression tray.5-7 The dentaltechnician may receive an irreversible hydrocolloid im-pression for making a custom tray that does not showthe implant axis and position. This could require theclinician to further modify the custom tray chairside.A method for fabrication of a custom impression trayfor the ITI dental implant system (ITI Dental ImplantSystem; Straumann AG, Waldenburg, Switzerland) isdescribed in this article. In this method, the implantaxis and opening and space for impression copings areincorporated in the custom tray. This technique couldalso be used with other implant systems.

PROCEDURE

1. Remove the cover screws (048.371, ITI DentalImplant System; Straumann AG) from the implantsand insert the guide screw of the impression copings(048.090, synOcta ITI Dental Implant System;Straumann AG) with the appropriate screwdriver(046.401, ITI Dental Implant System; StraumannAG).

2. Make an impression with irreversible hydrocolloid(Alginoplast; Heraeus Kulzer, Hanau, Germany).

3. Place straight handpiece round burs (TeledyneDensco, Denver, Colo) in the depressions of guidescrews in the impression and pour the impression withtype III dental stone (Moldano; Heraeus Kulzer);thus, the noncutting end of the round burs on thediagnostic cast demonstrates the axis of guide screwsintraorally (Fig. 1, A).

4. Place appropriate impression copings (048.090,synOcta ITI Dental Implant System; StraumannAG) upside down over the round burs on the diag-nostic cast (Fig. 1, B).

5. Cover the diagnostic cast with a proper thicknessof baseplate wax (Modelling wax; Dentsply, Wey-bridge, UK) and cover the wax with tin foil to preventwax impregnation on the acrylic resin custom tray.

aAssociate Professor, Department of Prosthodontics and TorabinejadDental Research Center.

bAssociate Professor, Department of Prosthodontics and TorabinejadDental Research Center.

J Prosthet Dent 2007;97:183-4.

MARCH 2007

Fig. 1. A, Noncutting end of round burs demonstrates axis ofguide screws. B, Impression copings placed upside downover round burs.

Fig. 2. Custom impression tray.

THE JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY 183

THE JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY SAVABI AND NEJATIDANESH

6. Make the custom impression tray with light-polymerizing resin (Megatray; Megadenta, Radeberg,Germany) (Fig. 2).

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Reprint requests to:

DR OMID SAVABI

# 400-SHEIKHSADOOGH SHOMALI ST.

SHEIKHSADOOGH CROSS RD

ESFAHAN, IRAN

FAX: 009-8311-6625500

E-MAIL: savabi@hotmail.com

0022-3913/$32.00

Copyright � 2007 by The Editorial Council of The Journal of Prosthetic

Dentistry.

doi:10.1016/j.prosdent.2006.12.009

VOLUME 97 NUMBER 3