What Are Dental Impressions?

If your dentist has planned an extensive dental procedure for you, like braces, they may have informed you that they’ll take dental impressions of your mouth. However, if you’ve never had them done before, you may want to know what dental impressions are, why they are taken, and how they facilitate dental procedures. 

This blog post will help you better understand dental impressions so that by the time your procedure starts, you know exactly what your dentist is doing and why they are doing it. 

What is a Dental Impression?

A dental impression is an imprint of your teeth, gums, and other oral structures surrounding your teeth. These impressions are taken to design models of your mouth that’ll help your dentist diagnose and design a suitable treatment plan. They also help in dental restoration procedures and in cases where the patient needs braces, retainers, mouth guards, etc. Dental impressions can either be taken digitally or traditionally.

How are Dental impressions Made?

Dental impressions are made by adding liquid material like polyvinyl siloxane or alginate to a U-shaped tray. This tray is then fitted into the mouth. The liquid material hardens in the mouth. When the dentist pulls the tray out, they get the impression (or imprint) of your oral cavity. This impression is then sent to the lab, where a stone material (like plaster) is poured into the impression, which hardens to form a cast of your mouth. This is a traditional way of taking a dental impression. 

Dental impressions can also be taken digitally. During this procedure, a handheld device is inserted into the mouth that takes numerous pictures of your oral cavity. Computer software uses these images to form 3D digital images of your oral cavity (teeth, gums, and surrounding structures). The procedure of taking a dental impression takes about 15 to 20 minutes. 

If you’re looking for a Wichita dentist, visit us at Auburn Family Dental. Looking for Wichita dental care and Wichita dentist office where you can trust your dentist can be daunting, but at Auburn Family Dental, you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands.