Hello there, dear dentist friends! Dylan here from PRO-Craft Dental Laboratory. How well are your crowns fitting your patients? Finding a national dental lab partner who can create dental restorations to fit without adjustments or remakes is crucial to a successful dental practice. What's better than happy patients and smooth workflows?
We're here to share some tips on how to make your dental impressions spot-on during the dental crown fitting process. That way, you can give your patients the best dental crown fitting and avoid any errors in the impressions!
Why a Good Impression is Necessary During a Dental Crown Fitting
Good dental impressions are essential during a dental crown fitting because they create an exact mold of the prepared tooth for a precise fit and proper function for the final crown. Accurate impressions prevent bad fitting crown symptoms, like discomfort, poor alignment, and gaps, which could lead to adjustments or the need to remake the crown. Sometimes, a poorly fitting crown may even fall out, so you must deal with a recemented dental crown situation and an unhappy patient.
Dental impressions also help create models showing how dental arches and teeth fit together, which is essential for a range of restorations, including crowns.
The Four Commandments for Impeccable Impressions
Getting the most accurate impressions is essential if your patients want flawless dental work during their crown seating dental procedure. To achieve this, every dental professional should follow these four fundamental impression material guidelines.
Number One: Keep It Fresh
When using impression materials during a dental crown fitting, check that they are not expired to maintain the quality of your dental work. Check the expiration dates carefully, but don’t rely on just the numbers! Using current, unexpired material will lead to more accurate impressions, better crown results, and overall patient care.
Impression materials must meet specific standards, such as stability and elasticity, to be effective. Considering these factors and regularly checking the expiration dates of your materials allows you to provide your patients with accurate and safe care.
Number Two: Timing is Everything
Properly managing when and how you mix your materials can significantly affect the outcome. Mixing the impression materials too early might begin activating before you're ready, which could result in poor fidelity and compromised accuracy. Preparing just before you need the materials to prevent premature setting is vital to getting the best impressions during any dental crown fitting procedure.
To master the art of timing, always follow the manufacturer’s recommended setting time for your specific material, plus an extra minute to the suggested time. This additional minute allows the material to be fully set, reducing the risk of tearing the margins upon removal and helping to preserve the fine details necessary for precise restorations. Mastering your timing means consistently producing impeccable impressions for your patient’s dental crown fitting.
Number Three: Stay Loyal to Your Brand
Mixing different impression material brands might seem harmless, but it can lead to complications in your work. Unlike cocktails, where blending ingredients can create something great, using different brands of impression materials can cause inconsistencies that lead to your patient needing a dental crown adjustment further down the road. Each vendor designs their materials to work cohesively within their product line, and following their instructions precisely ensures your materials will work in perfect harmony.
Number Four: The Magic of Packing Cord
The "magic of packing cord" lies in its ability to transform taking dental impressions into an art form. When packed correctly under our 10x power microscope, you can observe the beautifully smooth area of the tooth structure, with crisp, clean margins where your burr marks stop. The technique allows for a clearer, more precise impression, reducing the risk of errors and remakes to fix bad fitting crown symptoms.
Packing cord helps control bleeding, retract the gums, and prevent fluid build-up around the tooth, which is especially important when working at or near the gingival sulcus. Safety is paramount during a dental crown fitting, so make sure the gingival tissue is healthy and never force the cord into the sulcus.
Join Hands with PRO-Craft: Crafting Smiles Together for Over Four Decades
At PRO-Craft Dental Laboratory, we are passionate craftsmen and artists who create life-changing experiences for your patients. We've been handcrafting excellence for the last 43 years, and we aren't stopping! We would be thrilled to be part of your journey.
Give us a call at 877-4-THE-LAB (484-3522) or contact us online so we can create personalized solutions that are right for your dental practice.
Dental Crown Fitting FAQ
What should I do if my impression margins are not clear?
If you are dealing with unclear margins, check that the tooth and surrounding areas are dry and free of blood or saliva. Retracting the gums through a packing cord can also help achieve more precise margins during the dental crown fitting procedure. If necessary, retake the impression with improved retraction and moisture control.
How can I avoid remakes due to poor impressions?
The best way to avoid making a dental crown adjustment in the future is to prevent impression errors in the first place. Some helpful solutions include sticking to a single brand for your impression materials, following the manufacturer's instructions closely, and ensuring your materials are not expired. Additionally, using proper tray selection, achieving dry conditions, and maintaining clear margins will help prevent remakes.
How can I prevent distortion when taking dental impressions?
Preventing distortion is vital to a good impression for a crown seating dental procedure. Timing is a significant component of impression-taking, so don’t mix your materials too early or remove them before they are fully set. Along with good timing, use rigid, well-fitting trays to stabilize the material during impression-taking.
Can digital impressions replace traditional impressions for a dental crown fitting?
Digital impressions are increasingly popular and offer more convenience, accuracy, and patient comfort than traditional methods. However, traditional impressions are still widely used and effective, so the choice ultimately depends on what technology you have and your preferences.
What happens if the crown doesn’t fit properly despite good impressions?
If the crown doesn't fit properly despite good impressions, there are various reasons to consider, including lab errors, improper impression handling, or tooth preparation issues. In these cases, check the impression for accuracy, consult the lab, and consider remaking the impression or adjusting the tooth preparation.
One way to guarantee an excellent dental crown fitting is to work with a trusted dental lab like PRO-Craft. Our four decades of experience and talented lab technicians mean that your patients get beautifully crafted appliances and ones that fit comfortably.
