Dental gypsum products are essential materials used for various applications, including creating dental models, casts, and molds. There are primarily 5 types of dental gypsum products, each with its specific properties and applications.
Dental Plaster for Impressions (Type 1)
Type 1 dental gypsum is a low-strength gypsum product primarily used for making preliminary impressions and study models. With limited strength and abrasion resistance, it may be unsuitable for clinical applications that require precise detail reproduction and durability. With advancements in dental materials technology, higher-grade gypsum products have become more prevalent due to their superior strength, hardness, and dimensional stability.
Dental Plaster for Mounting and Models (Type 2)
Model plaster is primarily used for creating preliminary study models, diagnostic casts, and working models for the fabrication of removable prosthodontic appliances. Due to its low strength and abrasion resistance, model plaster is not suitable for creating detailed or precise replicas.
Dental Stone for Models (Type 3)
Dental stone is stronger and more durable than model plaster and is used for creating working models, orthodontic models, and castings requiring greater strength and accuracy. To accommodate various clinical needs, dental stone is available in different formulations, such as regular, fast-setting, and high-strength. Its strength, accuracy, and versatility make it an indispensable material in modern dentistry.
High Strength/Low Expansion Dental Stone (Type 4)
Type 4 dental gypsum offers superior strength, accuracy, and durability compared to traditional dental stone (Type 3), making it a preferred choice for a wide range of dental procedures and applications. It is commonly used for fabricating fixed prosthodontic restorations, crowns, bridges, and implant models. When used in crown and bridge fabrication, it creates highly accurate models of the patient's teeth and oral structures. These models serve as a basis for designing and fabricating dental restorations with optimal fit and function. Type 4 is available in various formulations, including regular, fast-setting, and high-strength varieties, to accommodate different clinical needs and preferences.
High-Strength/High-Expansion Die Stone (Type 5)
High-strength, high-expansion die stone is the highest grade of dental gypsum material and is designed for demanding dental applications, such as crown and bridge work. It offers exceptional strength, expansion, and dimensional stability, ensuring precise reproduction of fine details and accurate fitting of dental restorations. This type of die stone is commonly used in advanced prosthodontic procedures where accuracy and reliability are critical.
Each type of dental gypsum product has distinct properties and characteristics that make it suitable for specific clinical applications in dentistry. Dentists and dental technicians select the appropriate type of gypsum product based on factors such as strength requirements, setting time, detail reproduction, and cost-effectiveness for each dental procedure.