simple technique for making custom impression trays

SEPTEMBER 2000 THE JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY 371

Conventionally, baseplate wax is used as the spacingmedium or blockout material for making custom im-pression trays. Quite often, the wax melts onto the trayduring fabrication and can be tedious to remove. Fail-ure to remove all wax may interfere with the adhesionof impression material to the tray. A faster and cleanermethod to make the tray can be accomplished with theuse of a simple styrofoam tray commonly used for flu-oride applications.

The procedure is performed using the following steps:1. Select a suitably sized foam tray that fits the cast. 2. Using a sharp knife, cut out occlusal stops to form

a tripod (Fig. 1).3. Use small amounts of orthodontic wax inside the

foam tray to stabilize it.4. Place the light-polymerizing custom tray material

over the foam tray and adapt it beyond the bor-ders of the foam to produce a “rim-lock” featureon the tray.

5. Light cure the material and peel out the foam tray. 6. Final cure and remove any rough edges. The tray can

now be used (Fig. 2).

Reprint requests to:DR CASIMIR LEKNIUS

SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY

UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC

2155 WEBSTER ST

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115FAX: (415)929-6654 E-MAIL: cleknius@uop.edu

Copyright © 2000 by The Editorial Council of The Journal of ProstheticDentistry.

0022-3913/2000/$12.00 + 0. 10/4/109188

doi:10.1067/mpr.2000.109188

Simple technique for making custom impression trays

Casimir Leknius, DDS, MS, MA, MBA,a and Rae Henderson, BSb

School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, Calif.

aAssociate Professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry.bSenior Dental Student, Department of Restorative Dentistry.J Prosthet Dent 2000;84:371.

Fig. 1. Occlusal stops are cut out to form tripod.

Fig. 2. Finished tray.