Which impression material is known for its high dimensional stability?

Polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) is recognized for its high dimensional stability, making it an excellent choice for dental impressions. This characteristic allows the material to maintain its shape and accuracy over time, which is critical for creating precise dental restorations and appliances. PVS is also known for its ability to capture fine details, which contributes to the quality of the final restoration.

The high dimensional stability of PVS stems from its unique chemical composition, which minimizes changes in volume and deformation, even after the impression has set. This stability is essential in ensuring that the impression reflects the original state of the teeth and surrounding structures, leading to a better fit for crowns, bridges, and other dental prosthetics.

In contrast, while agar, polyether, and alginate are useful impression materials, they do not offer the same level of dimensional stability as PVS. Agar, for example, is an aqueous material that can undergo changes in dimension with temperature fluctuations. Alginate is easy to use and provides good detail but tends to distort over time due to its hydrophilic properties. Polyether has good dimensional stability, but it is not as widely recognized for that attribute as PVS.

Understanding the advantages of PVS in terms of dimensional stability is crucial