Surface Quality and Long-term Dimensional Stability of Current Elastomeric Impression Materials after Disinfection

PURPOSE: The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate the effect of disinfection on surface quality and dimensional stability of more recent, reformulated vinylpolysiloxane (VPS) and polyether (PE) materials. METHODS: Using ANSI/American Dental Association (ADA) specification 19 protocols, 50 impressions of stainless steel dies were made with each material. Ten impressions of each material were randomly assigned to a treatment group: (1) no disinfectant; (2) 10-minute dual phenol immersion; (3) 1-hour dual phenol; (4) 10-minute sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl); and (5) 1-hour NaOCl. Impression surface quality immediately after disinfection was categorized as smooth/shiny, matte, or wrinkled/sticky. Dimensional stability was evaluated by measuring dimensional accuracy according to specification 19 after 24-hour, 1-week, and 2-week storage at ambient laboratory conditions. RESULTS: The PE material surface quality was significantly affected (Pearson Chi-square, p