Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of impression technique selection on the dimensional accuracy of the produced casts.
Methodology: Four impression techniques (single-stage, two-stage, monophase, and heavy/wash technique) were used to make addition silicone impressions of a phantom head maxillary jaw. The impression materials used were Aquasil, Extrude, and Imprint. Measurements on casts were made for the inter-abutment distances to assess dimensional accuracy.
Results: There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) for the anteroposterior distances with the single-stage technique. The crossarch distances were slightly increased compared with the master model for all techniques, but significant statistical differences were only recorded for the single-stage technique and the monophase technique. The monophase technique demonstrated irregular results. The heavy/wash technique showed no significant differences for all the measurements compared with the standard model.
Conclusion: The results suggest that the selection of impression technique is an important factor that can affect the dimensional accuracy of the subsequent models which are used for indirect restorations.