Impregum Soft Quick- Step material reduces working time (maximum, 1 minute) and setting time (3 minutes), reducing chairtime and enhancing patient comfort.

Unlike VPS, Impregum Soft displaces moisture from the start of the mix, resulting in void-free impressions. Setting begins immediately, but only after intraoral working time ends, resulting in precise-fitting, distortion- free restorations.

Ten dentists participated in this Dental Product Shopper evaluation of Impregum Soft. They rated such features as flow, tear resistance, impression detail, and fit of the final restoration.

Flow and Tear Resistance

According to the manufacturer, Impregum Soft is formulated for superior flow without slumping, allowing the material to flow into the toughest-toaccess areas to capture the finest detail for better-fitting restorations. Flow around the tooth while syringing was rated as excellent by 4 evaluators and as very good or good by 6. Two evaluators called the light body material “a little runny” and 1 said the viscosity “really enables a good delivery into the sulcus.”

One evaluator noted that it “sets up in about 4 minutes” and another said it took “too long to set up.”

Impregum Soft has been found to be more flexible than previous 3M ESPE polyether materials.1 When asked to evaluate Impregum Soft’s tear resistance, 5 evaluators rated it as excellent and 5 rated it as very good to good. One evaluator noted that the material is “well known for this!”

Impression Detail

The evaluators were asked to rate overall impression detail, as well as detail reproduction in moist and dry conditions. Impression detail was rated as excellent by 7 evaluators and as very good to good by 3. One evaluator “took impressions for many different types of restorations with excellent results in all completed cases.” When asked about gingival margin quality, 5 evaluators rated it as excellent and 5 rated it as very good to good. One dentist reported “excellent detail and very good marginal adaptation.”

According to the manufacturer, better initial hydrophilicity provides void-free impressions in moist conditions. In a 2006 study, Impregum Soft was shown to be more accurate and reliable than all tested VPS materials in moist conditions.2 Detail reproduction in challenging conditions (deep subgingival preps, saliva, blood) was rated as excellent by 3 evaluators, as very good by 5, and as good by 2. Detail reproduction in average (dry) submarginal conditions was rated as excellent by 6 evaluators, as very good by 3, and as good by 1.

The evaluators also assessed Impregum Soft with regard to the presence of defects in critical areas. This feature was rated as excellent by 2 evaluators, as very good by 7, and as good by 1.

Final Fit of Restoration

In a 2006 study,3 current VPS users reported achieving better restoration fit (precision and accuracy) with Impregum Soft Quick Step than with their currently used VPS materials. When asked about the fit of the final restorations achieved with Impregum Soft, 5 evaluators rated it as excellent, 4 rated it as very good, and 1 rated it as good.

Overall Satisfaction

Overall satisfaction with Impregum Soft was rated as excellent by 1 evaluator, as very good by 5, and as good by 4. Seven of the 10 evaluators said they would definitely or probably purchase Impregum Soft and recommend it to colleagues.

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References

1. Lu H, Nguyen B, Powers JM. Mechanical properties of 3 hydrophilic addition silicone and polyether elastomeric impression materials. Prosth Dent. 2004;92:151.

2. McCabe JF, Carrick T. Impression accuracy when recording impressions of moist surfaces. J Dent Res. 85(Spec Iss B):abstract 2466, 2006.

3. Langdon S, Klettke T, Coalwell B. Performance of a fast setting polyether impression material. J Dent Res. 85(Spec Iss B):abstract 669, 2006.