Abstract:

Introduction: Accurate impression techniques relative to adjacent implants or relative to natural teeth is of paramount importance for the precision fit of the restorations. The elastomeric impression materials are the most commonly used in fixed prosthodontics. Digital technologies are taking up an increasing part of the planning and fabrication of fixed restorations, both on natural teeth and on implants.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the dental practitioners’ preferences for impression taking techniques in the fabrication of implant superstructures.

Materials and methods: A survey was conducted among dentists regarding the preferences of impression taking on implants in the city of Varna. The survey was available on the website of BDA (Bulgarian Dental Association) Varna. The survey was conducted in a digital environment using Google Forms. For the period from April to May 2023. 61 dentists were surveyed. The obtained results were processed with SPSS v.20.0 for Windows.

Results: The majority of respondents are general practitioners in dentistry, 68.5%, 26.3% have a specialty in prosthetic dentistry, and the rest 5,2% are dentists with a specialty in oral surgery and operative dentistry. Although digital technologies are increasingly entering dentistry and in particular implantology, most of them indicate that they prefer conventional methods of taking impressions and prosthodontics on implants.

Conclusion: From the present study, it can be concluded that the incorporation of digital technologies into clinical practice still presents some difficulty for dental practitioners.

Keywords: Conventional impression, digital impression, intraoral scanner