Dental impressions are molds of teeth used for diagnosis, treatment, and forensic purposes. A viscous substance is poured into a tray and inserted into the patient’s mouth to create a negative mold. The mold can be filled with plaster to produce a positive impression of the teeth. Dental impressions require skill and can be used to design dental appliances and diagnose dental problems. In forensics, dental records can be used for identification purposes.
Dental impressions are molds of teeth for use in the diagnosis and treatment of dental conditions. They are also used in forensic medicine. Impressions are also known as dental molds or teeth. Typically, impressions are taken in a dentist’s office, although a dentist may also travel to a patient or subject under special conditions, as the equipment needed is relatively portable.
To make a dental impression, a viscous substance designed to harden is mixed and poured into a tray. The tray is inserted into the patient’s mouth and the patient is directed to bite. After a set amount of time, the patient is asked to release the jaw and the tray is removed from the mouth. Some dental impressions are made with very fast-setting cements, which allow the patient to bite into a gummy substance and then release it immediately. This reduces discomfort and irritation for the patient.
The finished dental impression is a negative mold, showing the teeth upside down. The mold can be filled with plaster or other material which is then allowed to set to produce a positive impression of the teeth. Impressions and casts can be used in the design of dental appliances such as retainers and crowns. They can also be used in diagnosis, providing a model of the teeth that can be inspected at will without discomfort to the patient, and casts can also be sent to consultants for evaluation.
Taking dental impressions requires some skill. It is important that the impressions are not pushed or compressed during gripping, otherwise the mold of the teeth could be disrupted. This can lead to the creation of a dental appliance that does not fit the patient. Dentists can keep molds and casts on file for future reference. Dental schools also keep models of unusual examples of dentition and disease processes so that dental students can learn to recognize dental problems.
In forensics, dental records can be used to match or exclude people suspected of having left dental evidence at a crime scene. Some unwary criminals left behind evidence such as partially eaten food and this evidence was later linked to suspects in a laboratory setting and used to support a conviction case. Sometimes dental records can also be useful for forensic identification of unknown human remains; dental records can be matched with information gleaned from human remains for positive identification.
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