IMPRESSIONS

Consider the costs of retakes and remakes. 

The cost is calculated not only in the materials used, but also in the extra time involved. Remakes due to inadequate impressions and models are not simply inconveniences; they are also a drain on your practice and our lab, requiring both materials and time, and affecting the patient’s perception of the dentist and your practice. 

If a bad impression makes it to the lab, even more time is wasted as the patient is usually recalled to take yet another impression. It’s just wasted time and money all around. Don’t forget to inspect your impression. This is an essential step in saving time, money and heartache — for you, the lab and the patient.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

• Check your impressions carefully before they are poured up in stone. Take the extra seconds and get it right the first time.
  
• If you’re unsure about the accuracy of your impression, take another one while the patient is still in the chair.
  
• Always review your models for accuracy before you send them to the lab.

Study models help us quite a bit to give us a guide of what the patient likes and dislikes in a previous appliance.