Open- or Closed-Tray Impression Technique in Implant Prosthesis: A Dentist's Perspective

A precise implant position transfer to the working cast is particularly important to achieve an optimal fit for final restoration. Different variables affect implant-impression accuracy. Conducting a cross-sectional, descriptive study in an institution on randomly selected individuals, we compare accuracy of open-tray and closed-tray impression techniques in implants. The study group consisted of adult patients who visited the outpatient department of prosthodontics at Saveetha University from June 2019 through March 2020. We evaluate 2500 case sheets and use a χ2 test to explore the relationship between the two variables. The open-tray impression technique was used in 53.8% of cases compared to 46.2% of cases using closed-tray impression. For open-tray cases, a nonsplinted method was used by 78.2% versus 21.8% in splinted cases. An effective impression is a main requisite of an implant-supported prosthesis, because without an accurate impression, the prosthesis fails. For implant dentistry, the impression records position, depth, axis/angulation, rotation-hex position, and soft-tissue contour (emergence profile). Hence, impression technique is key for dental implant success.