One of the most important steps in restorative and prosthetic dentistry is making accurate impressions. The choice of impression material—alginate or silicone—can make the difference between a perfect fit and a remake.
Let’s dive into the key differences and help you choose the right material for your clinic.
🔹 What Are Impression Materials?
Impression materials are substances used to create a negative mold of a patient’s teeth and soft tissues. They are essential for:
- Crowns & bridges
- Dentures
- Orthodontic models
- Whitening trays
🔹 Alginate Impression Material
✔ Affordable → widely used for study models and orthodontics
✔ Easy to mix & set
✔ Comfortable for patients
❌ Not dimensionally stable (shrinks quickly)
❌ Limited accuracy for long-term restorations
🔹 Silicone Impression Material
✔ Highly accurate → ideal for crowns, bridges, implants
✔ Dimensionally stable → can be stored before pouring models
✔ Less shrinkage, more detail reproduction
❌ More expensive than alginate
❌ Requires mixing or cartridges
🔹 Which Should You Choose?
- Use Alginate for study models, orthodontics, bleaching trays.
- Use Silicone for high-precision work like crowns, bridges, or implant cases.
👉 Many clinics stock both to stay prepared for different procedures.
✅ Final Thoughts
Choosing between alginate and silicone depends on the procedure. For speed and affordability, alginate wins. For accuracy and reliability, silicone is the best choice.
👉 Shop our range of alginate and silicone impression materials here: