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A technique to splint open-tray implant impression transfer copings using ligature wire Nirmal Kurian Kevin George Varghese Samiksha Wadhwa Aneeta Mary Sabu Dental Update 2025 52:5, 360-361.
Authors
NirmalKurian
BDS, MDS, Associate Professor, Department of Prosthodontics and Crown and Bridge, Christian Dental College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Fabrication of an accurate, definitive cast is an essential step for implant restorations to achieve a precise fit between the implant abutments and the prosthesis.1
Studies have shown that open-tray impression techniques with splinted transfer copings improve the accuracy of the resulting definitive cast compared to non-splinted methods.2
Various methods for splinting impression-transfer copings have been presented in the literature, including using auto-polymerizing resin or light-cured composite resin on a scaffold formed by dental floss, orthodontic elastomeric chains, nylon sutures or cast metal sprues.3,4,5,6,7,8
This article presents an alternative technique to splint the impression copings by using a ligature wire.
Technique
Remove the healing abutments (TS Fixture, Healing abutment, Osstem Implant Co, Seoul, South Korea) after adequate healing of the peri-implant soft tissue.
Place the open tray implant impression transfer copings (TS Fixture, pick-up impression coping (Osstem Implant Co) and tighten to the desired torque.
Verify proper seating of the impression posts with peri-apical radiographs.
Twist the ligature wire using artery forceps and form a loop at the distal impression post.
Engage the ligature wire around the impression copings to form a template (Figure 1).
Cut off the excess wire and stabilize the impression transfer copings using auto-polymerizing acrylic resin (Pattern Resin, GC, India) (Figure 2).
Figure 1. Ligature wire engaged around impression copings.Figure 2. Open tray impression copings stabilized with autopolymerizing resin.
