A Novel Impression Technique Using a Silicone Tray, an in vitro study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare the measurements obtained between a master model and digitized plaster models acquired with the silicone tray impression technique.
Methods: A single fixed prosthesis preparation was milled on a second upper premolar resin tooth (2.5, master model) , 15 impressions were taken with the silicone tray impression technique, resulting in 15 plaster models. These models were scanned with the Carestream CS 3600 Access scanner, and different predefined marks in each specimen were measured using Carestream software Blender for dental and EXOCAD, and compared with those obtained from the master model that was also scanned.
Results: A maximum error rate of 0.12% was detected, and there were no differences (p>0.05) in the measurements of the study models with respect to those of the master model.
Conclusions: The novel impression technique using a silicone tray reproduces accurately the dimensions of a master model preparation, offering a reliable alternative to perform impressions of dental preparations for fixed prosthesis rehabilitation.