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Remove I
Complete denture

Lec 3
Impression trays

Dr / Ahmed Ameen
Mo. No. 010 1414

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Impression trays
➢ Impression tray (V.I.)
✓ Is a device used to carry, confine and control impression material while making an
impression
➢ Impression
✓ An impression is an imprint or negative reproduction of an object from which a
positive likeness or cast can be made.
✓ In dental prosthetics, an impression is a negative registration of the entire denture
bearing area.
✓ An impression is made in order to reproduce a positive form of the oral tissue (cast).
A. Preliminary impression (primary)
✓ It is an impression made in a stock tray for making a study cast on which a custom
tray is constructed. (compound , plaster , alginate)

B. Final impression (secondary)

✓ It is an impression made in custom tray and it is used for making the master cast
on which the denture is constructed. (zinc oxide , rubber base , alginate)

➢ cast
✓ It is a positive reproduction of the form of the tissues of the upper or lower arch
over which denture bases or other dental restorations may be fabricated.

A. Study (diagnostic) cast

✓ A cast formed from a primary impression for use in diagnosis or the construction
of custom tray. (plaster or stone)

B. Master (defenitive) cast

✓ A cast formed from a final impression on special tray and used for fabrication of
the prosthesis (stone)

➢ Impression trays
✓ Impression trays are classified as stock trays made by manufacturers and custom
or special trays made especially for one patient and discarded later.

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➢ Requirement of impression trays

1) The tray should be rigid and strong, but not too thick. A uniform thickness of 2
mm should be adequate.
2) The tray should simulate the finished denture in size and shape.
3) The border extension of the tray should be 2mm short of the vestibular depth
with no interference with muscle or frenal attachments.
4) The entire borders of the tray should be smooth and rounded.
5) The tray should retain its shape throughout the impression procedure and
pouring of the impression.
6) The handle of the tray should be angulated so that it aids in manipulation of the
tray without distorting natural lip contours.
7) It should accept the desired modifications.

• Cast have two line if closely fit tray is constructed (denture line , tray line )
• Cast have 3 line if spaced tray is constructed

➢ Function of impression trays

✓ Support the impression material in contact with the oral tissues while making the
impression.
✓ Support the impression material while removed from the mouth and while pouring
the cast.

➢ Types of impression trays:

1) Stock impression trays:

✓ Stock trays are used for making preliminary impressions.
➢ Parts of the tray:
✓ The tray consists of a body and handle ,The body consists of a floor and flanges.
✓ The upper tray has a vault portion instead of the lingual flanges of the lower.
➢ Classification of stock tray according to:
1) The presence of or absence of natural teeth :-
a) Impression trays with flat or square floor, straight or angled handles. They are
suitable for dentulous patient
b) Impression trays with round or oval floor , handles are angled at 90 degree, so that
they will not interfere with the lip during impression making They are suitable for
edentulous patients.
c) Impression trays with combination of square and oval floor. These trays are
manufactured with edentulous posterior segment and a dentulous anterior
segment. They are suitable for cases with remaining anterior teeth.

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2) The nature of impression material :-

I. Plain trays
✓ This type of impression trays is useful for imp. materials that good adhesive
property such as impression compound.
✓ Impression materials with bad adhesive property need adhesive material.
II. Perforated trays
✓ Useful for use with impression materials that possess poor adhesive properties
such as alginate & rubber base.
✓ The perforations are a form of mechanical lock intended to retain the
impression material in the tray as the impression is removed from the mouth.
III. Rim-lock trays
✓ Uses the rim-lock retention design in which an enlarged rim around the
periphery of tray serves as an undercut to prevent the impression material
from detaching from the tray. (alginate , rubber base)
IV. Water-cooled trays
✓ This special form of a stock trays is useful for reversible hydrocolloid
impression material e.g. Agar-agar.
✓ The impression tray is supplied with tubes which run along the edge of the tray
and emerge in the tray handle to which water circulated around the tray to
cool and solidify the agar material changing it from sol to gel stats
3) Shape of the dental arch
• To be suitable for different arch shape, they may be square, oval or tapered in outline.
4) Size of the dental arch
• Impression trays varies in size from small, medium to large.
5) Materials from which the stock trays are constructed
a) Metalic
• Low fusing metal • Stainless steel • Aluminum
b) Non metallic
• Plastic trays which can be steralized. ;
• Disposable plastic trays
• Non metalic trays are made of polyurethane, polycarbonate or nylon.
6) Area to be recorded
➢ Sectional tray ➢ Full arch
Modification done to stock tray are (addition , cutting , bending )

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2) Custom trays (special trays)

• Custom trays are made on preliminary casts.
• They are designed to enable the dentist to make a more accurate and detailed impression
than is possible with stock trays. For one patient and they are discarded after use.
➢ Advantages of custom trays
1) It fits accurately the arches of the patient.
2) The bulk of the impression material is reduced and accordingly less dimensional
changes will be expected.
3) Less Impression material is used.
4) More comfortable to the patient.
➢ Requirements:
1) The tray should be rigid and of uniform thickness (2mm).
2) The tray should simulate the finished denture in size and shape.
3) The border extension of the tray 2mm short of the vestibular depth.
4) The borders should be smooth and rounded.
5) The tray should retain its shape during the impression procedure and pouring
of the impression.
6) It should be easily and rapidly constructed.
7) It should accept trimming.
➢ Custom tray Materials
a) Metal
b) non-metal , metal not used nowadays
• Non metal Thermoplastic materials and resins are more commonly used for the
construction of custom trays as they are easily and rapidly made.
1) Thermoplastic materials (easily fracture)
• Shellac base plate
• Hydroplastic tray material : small bead reach moldable consistency in 65-85 º
• Modeling compound
2) Resins :
• Self-cure.
• Heat cure.
• Light cure.
• Plasticsheet
3) In some techniques modeling compound impressions are used as custom trays after
scraping 2-3 mm from the fitting surface and flanges of the impressions. This
custom tray is used for a plaster wash impression or zinc oxide eugenol paste lining
as a final impression. The advantage of this method is that it involves one less visit
by the patient to the dentist's office.
4) The old denture of the patient can be used as a custom tray.

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➢ Methods of construction.(read only)

1- Thermoplastic materials
a- Shellac base plate
✓ Shellac base plates are made from .a resinous material that softens upon heating and
hardens on cooling.
✓ The single is used for base plate construction, and the double is used to construct
custom tray. forms shaped to correspond to the general shapes of the maxillary and
mandibular arches
✓ Before adapting the shellac base plate, the cast must be treated so that the material
will not adhere to it. either by dusting the cast with talcum powder or by light coat of
vaseline.
✓ The shellac base plate is centered on the cast the bunsen burner is inverted and the
flame played on the surface of the shellac material. Then pressed firmly in place by
the finger.
✓ A handle can be made by softening a piece of the same material and attaching it to
the tray in such a manner as to avoid lip interference.

b-M odeling compound

✓ Modeling compound is a thermoplastic material that is made either as a tray or as an
impression material. The cake form is used primarily as a tray material, whereas
the stick form is used primarily as an impression material. The tray material requires
a higher heat to soften, does not record detail accurately, and is rigid when it is
hardened.
c- Hydroplastic tray material : softening in (65 -85 c)

2- Resins:
a) Self curing acrylic :
➢ Advantages:
1) Easily constructed.
2) More rigid than shellac base plate trays.
3) Can accept border tracing material.

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➢ Construction:
✓ Draw two line
✓ All apparent undercuts on the cast are blocked out with base plate wax.
✓ The exposed areas on the casts are coated with separating medium.
✓ The acrylic resin powder and liquid are mixed according to the manufacturer's
instructions in a glass container , The consistency of the mix is checked periodically
till it reaches the dough stage, wooden blade is used for mixing.
✓ The dough is placed within a form on a glass slab. It is patted out to form a wafer of
uniform thickness, or two wet plastic sheets or glass plates are used to shape the
dough into a wafer or sheet of suitable thickness. Two small pieces of shellac base
plate are placed between the two glass plates to get the desired thickness.
✓ The wafer of the tray material is lifted from the slab and adapted to the cast with light
finger pressure. Excessive pressure will cause thin areas in the tray.
✓ A warm knife may be used to trim the soft material from around the borders of the
cast, final trimming is done after curing.
✓ Excess material is formed into a handle of the desired shape. The handle must be
placed so that it will not interfere with any movements of the patient’s lips during
impression procedures.
✓ The casts and impression trays are set aside until material cures.
✓ Excess material beyond the outline is removed with a chuck stone.
✓ The tray may be smoothed using polishing wheels and pumice or by the application
of the tray material liquid rubbed on the tray surface.
• Heat curing and light curing acrylic resin can also be used for the construction of custom
trays.
b. Plastic sheets:

• Custom trays are constructed either directly on the cast (close fitting tray) or over a
spacer (spaced tray) that has been constructed on the cast. The need for a spacer
depends on the impression technique and material used. (wax or shellac)
✓ Another method of making resin custom trays is through the use the vacuum or
pressure forming machine. The material used is supplied by the manufacturer of the
machine in the form of uniform dear plastic sheets.(night guard)
Spacer
✓ Custom trays are sometimes provided with a spacer to ensure enough space between
the tray and the tissues to allow an even thickness of impression material.
✓ When zinc oxide-eugenol impression paste is used a close-fitting tray without spacer
is required.
✓ When polysulfide rubber, or silicone impression material are used, a single layer of
baseplate wax is required.
✓ When alginate or plaster are used as a final impression material, a spacer of double
thickness of baseplate wax is desirable. (3 mm spacer)

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✓ This spacer will be removed from the custom tray before impression making
leaving a space for the impression material.
➢ Advantage of the spacer:
1) It provides a space of even thickness in the custom tray for the impression material and -
thus any dimensional change in the material will be equal throughout the impression,
2) In case of plaster Impression material, the suitable thickness provided will help the
fractured areas to be accurately reassembled.

➢ Methods of construction of the spacer:

1) The first method
✓ The outline of the impression tray is drawn on the cast using an indelible pencil.
To be 2mm short of the vestibular depth. The outline for the wax spacer is
drawn on the cast 2 mm-4mm. Shorter of the tray outline.
✓ The cast is then dusted with talcum powder or immersed in a water bath for 10
minutes to prevent sticking of the heated wax to the cast.
✓ One or two layers of base plate wax is adapted to the cast and trimmed to the
previously drawn outline.
✓ Tissue stops are made by removing (2*2) 4mm. square of wax to expose the cast
in the canine and molar regions. This will allow the tray to be placed in a
repeatable position during border molding procedure.
2) The second method
✓ The cast is immersed in cold water for 10 minutes. Then dipped in molten wax
for several times. Each dip
will add a layer to the cast,
three dips are sufficient. The
excess wax is trimmed to
leave a spacer 2.0 mm. shorter
than the tray border.

➢ Pouring the primary impression forming the study cast :

✓ The materials used for making the primary impression are either compound or
alginate irreversible hydrocolloid impression materials. The primary impression is
poured in either plaster or stone gypsum martial.
✓ Plaster is mixed to a thick consistency and placed into one corner of the
impression and allowed to flow around the impression to avoid trapping of air
bubbles.
✓ A putty of plaster is placed on a glass slab, the filled impression is inverted on
it. The plaster is pulled up around the impression with plaster spatula or knife
and then smoothed.

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✓ The plaster is allowed to set until the heat goes from the cast, the impression
should not be separated before 45 minutes to ensure complete setting.
✓ For pouring the mandibular impression, the putty of plaster is smoothed to make a
smooth tongue space in the cast.
➢ General considerations
1) Impression should be washed with water to remove mucous and saliva then
disinfected prior to pouring.
2) All mixing equipments should be clean, any residue will accelerate the reaction and
spoil the surface of the cast.
3) Alginate should be poured as fast as possible (syneresis - imbibition).
4) Water/powder ratio must be accurate as recommended by the manufacturer.
5) Care must be taken to avoid air bubbles in the mix as it weakens the cast and may
spoil the surface. Vibration is always necessary.

➢ Pouring the final impression and forming master cast:

✓ It must include all tissues and border areas that will be covered by the denture. The
border areas are particularly important in complete denture because they form
the seal that helps maintain the denture in place. Loss of borders, either in the
impression or in the cast or by over polishing, will result in a denture having
inadequate retention.
✓ The master cast is poured either by inverting the impression on a putty of stone or
by boxing the final impression.

➢ Boxing of an impression
➢ Advantages of boxing:
1) It allows preservation of the borders of the impression.
2) It allows the use of a mounting plate which in turn permits the master cast to be
repositioned accurately on the articulator after the denture has been cured (Laboratory
remount).
3) It produces denser cast as it allows vibration to get rid of air bubbles.
4) Boxing produces a dense accurate master cast of a predetermined thickness

➢ Methods of boxing:
a) Wax boxing method:
✓ This boxing method is suitable for zinc oxide or plaster, as the beading wax
adheres readily to these impression material, the beading wax is available in
round or square ropes 4 mm wide.
✓ The impression is dried and a rope of beading wax is carefully adapted 3mm
from the borders the beading wax creates the land area of the cast and preserve
the outer border of the Impression.

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✓ The tongue space of the lower Impression is sealed by adapting a sheet of base
plate wax 3-4mm. below the border of the impression.
✓ A sidewall is then built against the beading wax to make a box into which stone
is poured. This wall may be made of boxing wax, lead sheet or cardboard 12mm
above the highest point of the impression.

b) Plaster of parts and pumice boxing method

✓ This method is suitable for boxing alginate, rubber base and silicon impression.
The beading wax of the previous method will not adhere to these elastic
impression materials.
✓ A 1:1 mixture by volume of plaster of paris and pumice is mixed with water and
speculated to produce a stiff mix
✓ The mix is placed on a glass slab and the impression is seated into it with the
fitting surface upward and the borders are exposed.
✓ The mix around the impression is smoothed with a wet spatula. After setting it
is removed from the glass slab, washed with water and trimmed to the desired
width, 5.0 mm, with cast trimmer.
✓ Boxing wax is adapted to the impression to be 14 mm above the highest point of
the impression.
✓ The surface of the plaster mixture is painted with a suitable separating medium.
✓ A thick mix of stone is prepared and pour gradually in the boxed impression while
it is placed on the vibrator.
✓ The stone is allowed to set for one hour.

➢ Requirement of a dental cast:

1) The surface of cast should be hard, dense, clean and free of voids (problem of stone)
or nodules.(problem of impression)
2) A cast should extend sufficiently to include all of the area available for denture
support.
3) The peripheral roll should be complete and no deeper than 3.0 mm, and the edge of the
cast extending out from this roll should be approximately 3.0 mm. wide.
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4) The side walls of a cast should be vertical

5) The base of a cast should not be less than 1O mm at the thinnest point.
6) The tongue space on a mandibular cast should be flat and smooth when trimmed, but
the lingual peripheral roll should remain intact
7) The contour of the base of maxillary and mandibular casts is shown in the anterior
border of the maxillary cast is pointed at the midline and the anterior border of the
mandibular cast is curved from canine to canine.
8) A land area of 3.0 mm should be maintained around the entire cast.
9) The base of the cast is trimmed so that the occlusal surface of the teeth or the plane of
the edentulous ridge is parallel to the base.

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