What I expect from an impression material can be easily summed up in one statement: it has to be universal. By this I mean the material should be suited for both the one-step and twostep techniques, and should be able to capture the finest details even under difficult clinical conditions. The high hydrophilicity of the material is very important for recording fine detail. Along with the hardness of the product, hydrophilicity ensures that the dental technician is able to produce a precise-fitting restoration.
For improved patient comfort, a universal impression material should also deliver a pleasant taste, the fastest possible intra-oral setting times (while maintaining long working times required for preparation) and easy removal from the mouth.
With these criteria in mind, 3M ESPE Imprint 4 VPS impression material piqued my interest. According to its makers, this impression material offers an active self-warming mechanism that leads to accelerated intra-oral setting times, while maintaining working times that are comparable to that of other VPS impression materials in the market.
Another interesting feature of Imprint 4 impression material is its true hydrophilicity in the unset state, which delivers exact reproductions of the finest details.
The Imprint 4 family offers both putty and heavy body materials, with various viscosities and setting times that cover all techniques. The tray and wash materials also come in vivid colours that deliver excellent contrast.
The following case, a 38-yearold female with a crown that needed replacement due to marginal leakage, describes the use of one of Imprint 4’s available material combinations. The clinician selected a material combination that is different from the manufacturer’s recommendation for the one step putty-wash technique. The recommended combination is: 3M ESPE Imprint 4 Penta putty and 3M ESPE Imprint 4 regular impression material.