Sandwich impressions

Restoring aesthetically discoloured, malformed, poorly restored, or broken-down teeth represents a challenge in routine dental practice.  Indirect porcelain veneers are the ideal restoration for intrinsically stained teeth.  However, porcelain laminate veneers can be affected by the colour of the prepared abutment teeth.  Minimal preparation associated with sub-opaquing the abutment teeth allows a progressive lightening of highly stained teeth to create a natural shade depth in porcelain veneer procedures. 

The clinical success of minimally invasive preparations for porcelain veneers depends on the use of a high precision impression material/technique and skilled dental technicians.  Polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) impression materials have demonstrated the ability to copy the finest details required for highly demanding restorations. The impression technique also plays an important role in the aesthetic rehabilitation procedure. The technique of choice for porcelain veneers is a one-step/double-mix impression using polyvinyl siloxane materials associated with a ‘double cord’ gingival displacement.

The following case study describes an example of aesthetic rehabilitation of anterior teeth using porcelain veneers together with the one-step/double mix impression technique.