DIMENSIONAL STABILITY OF 7 ELASTOMERIC IMPRESSION MATERIALS IMMERSED IN DISINFECTANTS

Dental impressions can increase the transmission of microorganisms and infections. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of three disinfectant solutions on the dimensional accuracy of seven elas tomeric impression materials. Impressions of a test block were either left untreated (controls) or treated by immersion in a disinfectant so lution, Measurements were taken on die stone replicas of the impressio ns. Comparisons mere made between (1) the measurements for the variati ons in the nontreated impressions and those for the treated impression s and (2) measurements for the treated impressions and the test block. Results indicated that the aminoamphoteric agent or glutaraldehyde de rivative-based solutions created little change in relation to the init ial dimensional accuracy of the impression products. However, the sodi um hypochlorite solution often leads to expansion by comparison with c ontrols. By comparison to the test block, this expansion then makes it possible in most cases to obtain better dimensional accuracy than ini tially. Within the limits of this study this expansion could lead to a n improvement in clinical fixed prosthodontic procedures.