Alginate in dental prosthesis: a review of literature

Abstract

The objective of this work was to carry out a literature review with a view to answering the following question: how to maintain accuracy, dimensional stability and avoid deformation of alginate in dental prosthesis procedures? The chosen design was a narrative literature review. The search for articles was carried out digitally, in the Virtual Health Library, Scientific Electronic Library Online and Google Scholar databases, using the following descriptors: dental impression technique; materials for dental impression; materials testing; dental models; alginates. Publications related to the objectives listed in this research were included, articles in portuguese or english, available in full text. Duplicate articles were excluded. The literature pointed to several methods for measuring dimensional stability, with mold conservation, rapid casting of the plaster and compliance with the proportions of material and water being the main means of avoiding deformation of the alginate in prosthetic procedures. It was possible to conclude that molds stored with a certain humidity can wait a few hours without running the risk of dimensional changes, and that in the absence of a humidifier the mold must be poured immediately after molding.