A retrospective comparison of two definitive impression techniques and their associated postinsertion adjustments in complete denture prosthodontics.

Purpose: To compare the number of postinsertion adjustment visits required by edentulous patients whose dentures were made from border-molded definitive impressions using modeling plastic impression compound (traditional technique) with patients whose dentures were made from border-molded definitive impressions using heavy-body vinyl polysiloxane impression material.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective clinical study, 78 patients were treated with the traditional technique (custom impression trays border molded with gray modeling plastic impression compound) and 78 were treated with the modified technique (custom impression trays border molded with heavy-body vinyl polysiloxane impression material). In both techniques, definitive wash impressions were made with light-body vinyl polysiloxane impression material. Postinsertion visits were quantified for 1 year after the dentures were inserted.

Results: The average number of adjustment visits for patients treated with the traditional technique was 2.68. The average number of adjustment visits for patients treated with the modified technique was 2.68. The data were compared using Student t tests. There was no significant difference in the number of adjustments required for patients whose dentures were made with either technique (t = 0.000, p = 1.00). There was no significant difference in the number of post-insertion visits required by patients from either population.

Conclusions: Within the limitations of this clinical study, border-molding custom denture impression trays with vinyl polysiloxane impression material provided similar results in terms of postinsertion visits for one year as compared to dentures made from impressions border molded with modeling plastic impression compound.