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ABSTRACT
Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the preferred impression
material and impression recording technique employed by the dentists in Kenya
for specific clinical procedures.
Design: A descriptive cross sectional study.
Setting: Dental clinics/institutions within Kenya.
Participants: Dentists registered by the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board
as at 2015.
Methods: A sample n=322 was randomly selected among the 1000 dentists
registered in 2015. Data was collected using a pre-tested self-administered
questionnaire that was distributed via online web-based survey monkey
softwareand off-line by data collection assistants. Data was analysed using SPSS
version 20 and Microsoft Excel 2013. Results were presented in tables, pie and bar
charts.
Results: Ninety seven dentists (30.1%) returned the questionnaires, 57 (58.8%)
completed the hard copy version while 40 (41.2%) responded via the on-line tool.
Majority of the respondents were males 52 (53.6%), 44 (45.4%) females while one
dentist (1%) did not respond. Nearly half of the dentists 44 (46.4%) had 0-5 years
clinical experience and a sizeable number 72 (74.2%) were general practitioners.
Majority 56 (57.7%) considered availability, cost, ease of use and degree of
accuracy in selecting impression materials (IM’s). The most commonly used (IM)
was alginate whereas the least applied were polysulphide and vinyl siloxanether.
Alginate was used in primary and final impressions of all procedures except
border moulding, mostly in study model 88 (90.7%) and least in complete denture
final impression 4 (4.1%). Addition and condensation cured silicones were
preferred for fixed restoration impressions with majority 40 (41.1%) using single
December 2017 EAST AFRICAN MEDICAL JOURNAL 1041
Figure 1
Distribution of the dentists across the counties
No response
Nairobi
Mombasa
Nakuru
Makueni
Bungoma
Kirinyaga
Garissa
Murang'a
Trans-Nzoia
Taita Taveta
Kisumu
Kenya
Uasin Gishu
Turkana
Nandi
Tharaka Nithi
Kiambu
Kakamega
Table 1
Distribution of the dentists according to type of practice institution and number of years in clinical
practice
denture construction, the dentists selected materials for final impressions in the
IM’s as follows; Modelling plastic fabrication of complete and removable
impression compound cakes (MPICC) 51 partial dentures is presented in Table 2. The
(52.6%), ALG 8 (8.2%), IMCS 4 (4.1%), ACS 1 most preferred IM for the final impression
(1%), with 9 (9.3%) indicating not applicable was; ZOE 48 (49.5%) for CD, Modelling
while 24 (24.7%) did not responding to the plastic impression compound sticks (MPICS)
question. Majority of the dentists 68 (70.1%) 49 (50.5%) for border moulding for CD and
used ALG to take primary impressions for ALG 52 (53.6%) for removable partial
RPD whereas a minority 1 (1%) each applied denture (RPD). No dentist reported using
ACS, CCS and IMCS. The distribution of the AGA and PS.
dentists according to the selection of
Table 2
Distribution of the dentists according to materials used for final impressions in fabrication of
complete and removable partial dentures
Intended Use/Impression Complete Denture Border Removable
material Moulding for Complete Denture Partial Denture
IMCC 0 (0%) 3 (3.1%) 0 (0%)
IMCS 1 (1%) 49 (50.5%) 0 (0%)
ZOE 48 (49.5% 1 (1%) 3 (3.1%)
IMW 0 (0%) 5 (5.2%) 0 (0%)
ALG 4 (4.1%) 0 (0%) 52 (53.6%)
ACS 4 (4.1%) 1 (1%) 8 (8.2%)
CCS 4 (4.1%) 1 (1%) 3 (3.1%)
PE 2 (2.1%) 0 (0%) 2 (2.1%)
VSE 1 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Not applicable 9 (9.3%) 9 (9.3%) 6 (6.2%)
No response 24 (24.7%) 27 (27.8%) 23 (23.7%)
Total 97 (100%) 97 (100%) 97 (100%)
With regard to final impressions for indirect for maxillofacial prostheses. In total the three
restorations and fixed prostheses the most used IM’s for recording final
selection of IM’s by the respondents is impressions were, ALG 75 (77.3%), ACS 64
shown in (Table 3). Addition cured silicone (66%) and CCS 63 (65%) while AGA was the
16 (16.5%) for veneers, CCS 19 (19.6%) for least indicated 1 (1%). No dentists reported
tooth supported FPD, CCS 14 (14.4%) for using MIPC and IMW for final impressions.
implant supported FPD and ACS 11 (11.3%)
1046 EAST AFRICAN MEDICAL JOURNAL December 2017
Table 3
Distribution of the dentists according to materials used for final impressions in fabrication of indirect
restorations and fixed prostheses
Figure 2
Distribution of the dentists according to impression technique and number of years in practice
25
Cummulative frequency %
20
15
10
0
Single mix Putty reline with spacer Putty reline without No response
spacer
Impression technique
average Kenyan dentist. The specialists were construction of complete denture. This
distributed over four counties that have differs with the use of ALG for primary
major towns in Kenya, this corresponding to impression by prosthodontics in USA,
the former provincial hospitals. Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish and North
Notably all impression material types were American dental schools. In addition ZOE is
available to the respondents including the not preferred by most practitioners and
novel vinylsiloxanether. Majority of the teaching in some schools. For instance, most
dentists used ALG for preliminary dental practitioners in the UK use ALG,
impressions which corresponds to both Prosthodontists in the USA use ACS, North
teaching in dental schools and practice America and USA dental schools use PS
among dental practitioners globally whereas PE, ACS, ALG and ZOE are applied
(14,27,28). Furthermore ALG is universally equally in Turkish and Portuguese dental
used for making impressions for orthodontic schools (14,15,19,28). Therefore the use of
working models, study models and casts for majorly ZOE and MIPC for complete
ante-mortem records in forensic dentistry. denture fabrication is on the decrease in
The most preferred IM’s for fixed dentistry. The dentists’ use of IMPCS for
restorations in decreasing order were ACS, border moulding concurs with teaching in
CCS, PE and ALG. The use of CCS as a final North America Schools, whereas other
impression material was equivocal with that materials have been employed for the same
of ACS in this study. While the use of ACS application include PE and ACS putty
and PE concurs with practice in other studies (28,31).
it differs from other studies where CCS is The most preferred impression technique
less popular (9,29). The use of CCS by while using elastomers was single mix. This
respondents in this study may be explained entails the use of a monophase viscosity
by the IM’s the multiple factors, indicated by material on a custom tray to record the
the respondents and perhaps the teaching in impression. This differs with other studies
dental school. Moreover, if handled well where dual phase impression technique has
CCS’s offer acceptable accuracy and detail been preferred and shown to be more
for clinical applications (30). accurate (32,33). This may be attributed to
In this study, a proportion of dentists used multiple factors dentists considered in
alginate for final impression for construction selecting impressions materials in this study
of fixed restorations and removable that included cost and ease of use. The study
prostheses. This is comparable to reports revealed that most dentists considered
from India, Sudan but differ from those of availability, cost, ease of use, degree of
UK (9,11,17). Alginate being an aqueous accuracy and specific procedure combined
elastomer has poor dimensional stability and factors while selecting impression materials.
tear strength as well. An impression is a While a few dentists reported considering
fundamental procedure in the sequence of accuracy, and material properties, intrinsic
steps undertaken by the dental practitioner material properties and final product
for construction indirect restorations and intended were considered separately. The
prostheses. Therefore the reasons for using results showed that more than half of the
ALG may partly stem from the cost of health dentists considered combined factors while
care, the mean health care cost when using selecting impression materials. The results
ACS has been found to be higher than when differ with findings from a study where
using alginate (18). Majority of the dentists chose IM’s basing on personal
respondents indicated MPICC for primary preferences and past experience with
and ZOE for secondary impressions in the particular materials (34).
December 2017 EAST AFRICAN MEDICAL JOURNAL 1049