Effects of radio-opacifier addition in dental impression material

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the effects of barium sulfate addition in two dental impression materials previously proved as radiolucent. Materials and Methods: An irreversible hydrocolloid (IH) and polyether (PE) were tested for optical density, linear dimension stability and detail reproduction. Statistical Analysis Used: The optical density data were submitted to Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test and compared with two-way ANOVA and Tukey (alpha=0.05). Results: The results of optical density (pixel) were: IH control 45.24f (7.6), PE control 54.93e (4.45), PE 5Wt% 60.43d (6.27), IH 1Wt% 61.54cd (5.3), PE 1Wt% 66.9bc (5.05), IH 5Wt% 67.17b (6.01), PE 10Wt% 84.55a (5.14), IH 10Wt% 85.33a (5.53). On detail reproduction, polyether control was able to copy the 6 m line. Adding 1 or 5Wt% of barium sulfate have not change this characteristic. For the irreversible hydrocolloid, the control group was able to copy a line with 14 m, however, adding 1Wt% barium sulfate, the capability decreased to 22 m. Adding barium sulfate in the polyether promoted an increase in between the copied lines, for the control, the average distance was 931.6 m, 936 m to 1Wt% and 954.5 m to 5 Wt%. For the IH, the control presented 975 m in comparison to 987.25 m for 1 Wt% samples. Conclusion: The addition of barium sulfate was capable of increasing significantly the optical density of tested material, have changed the linear dimension stability, however, have not interfered in detail reproduction only for PE.