Detail Reproduction, Contact Angles, and Die Hardness of Elastomeric Impression and Gypsum Die Material Combinations

Purpose: This study compared surface detail parameters, interfacial contact angles, and die hardness for some combinations of elastomeric impression and die materials. Materials and Methods: Representative polyvinyl siloxanes, polyether, polysulfide, and reversible hydrocolloid impression materials and Type IV, Type V, and resin reinforced-Type IV die materials were evaluated using a factorial design. For the evaluation of surface detail reproduction, the width of the thinnest continuous line observed and the visually observed shape of the thick line were determined from samples formed using a master die conforming to American Dental Association specification 19. The contact angle of freshly mixed die material on the set impression was measured using a contact angle goniometer. Finally, hardness of the die material was determined. After conversion of the data to ranks if necessary, 2-way analysis of variance with Ryan-Einot-Gabriel-Welsch (REGWQ) multiple comparison tests where appropriate were used to determine statistical significance. Results: The thinnest continuous line demonstrated statistically significant impression material effects, and the observed shape of the thick line showed both statistically significant impression material and die material effects. For both contact angle and die hardness, a statistically significant interaction between the impression and die materials was found. Conclusion: Although statistically significant differences in each property were found, no specific combination of impression and die materials was identified as superior to another for all surface properties studied.