DENTAL IMPRESSION AT HOME the 2-step guide, 10-15 minutes.

01

Why the impression is everything

A grill is born from the mould of your teeth, not from a standard size. Everything that comes after (the 3D scan, the custom digital sculpting, the printing in dental alloy) starts from that piece of silicone you ship me. If the impression is sharp, the grill fits on the first try. If it's blurred or full of bubbles, that flaw follows it all the way to the end.

That's why I push so hard on this stage. Ten minutes done well at your place save me remakes and save you waiting. It isn't the glamorous part of the job, but it's the part that decides whether the piece will sit comfortably or wobble in your mouth.

02

What's inside the kit

When you open the box you find everything you need, nothing to buy elsewhere. Two pastes that activate when you mix them, and the trays where you take the impression:

The thick putty

Two jars, a base and a catalyst. You knead them together until the colour is even and they form the rigid shell that holds the shape of the arch.

The precision wash

Softer and more fluid. It goes over the putty and captures the fine detail of the teeth, the edges and the small gaps the putty alone doesn't reach.

Two trays, two sizes

A smaller one and a larger one: pick the one that covers your arch well without pressing on the gums. When in doubt, try both empty first.

The instruction sheet

With the doses, the times indicated and a photo of a good impression next to one to redo. Keep it in front of you while you work.

I ask for at least two impressions per arch: the first one gets your hand in, the second almost always comes out better. There's enough material in the kit to make more than one.

03

The 3 rules before you start

Before you even open the pastes, three things that make the difference between a good impression and one for the bin. They sound obvious, but this is exactly where people slip up:

Clean hands, never latex gloves

Latex stops the silicone from setting: the paste stays sticky and won't harden properly. Wash your hands well and work bare-handed, or use nitrile gloves if you have them.

Dry teeth

Run a tissue over your teeth and wipe off the excess saliva before you bite. On a wet surface the paste slides and the detail is lost. Dry mouth, crisp impression.

Do a dry run and mark the centre

Before mixing, try the empty tray in your mouth: watch how it goes in and memorise the centre point. Then, with paste in hand, you'll go straight to it without hesitating.

Do these three things and you've already cut out half the mistakes I see arrive. The rest is just following the two steps in order.

04

Step 1: the thick putty

The putty builds the shell. Here the only thing that really matters is speed: once mixed it starts to set, so you work fast and don't stop.

1. 01

   Dose the two parts in equal amounts

   Take the same amount of base and catalyst, as the sheet says. Don't unbalance it: too much catalyst and it hardens before you've bitten down.

2. 02

   Knead for 20 seconds max

   Mix fast with your fingers until the colour is uniform, no streaks. Don't go past 20 seconds: beyond that the paste starts to set and no longer adapts well.

3. 03

   Load the tray and centre it

   Spread the paste evenly in the tray, then bring it into your mouth on the spot you marked earlier.

4. 04

   Bite firm and hold the position

   Close with steady, decisive pressure, without moving your jaw. Hold there for the time on the sheet, then pull off in one clean move.

You're left holding the rigid shell with a rough impression of the teeth. That's the base: now the detail goes on top.

05

Step 2: the precision wash

The wash adds the precision. It goes into the shell you've just made, so keep it ready and dry before you start.

1. 01

   Dry the saliva off the shell and teeth

   Dab the inside of the putty shell and wipe your teeth again with the tissue. The wash only bonds well on dry surfaces.

2. 02

   Spread the wash inside the shell

   Lay an even layer of wash inside the putty impression, without overdoing the amount: it should fill the detail, not overflow.

3. 03

   Put it back in the exact same spot

   This is the key step: reinsert the shell exactly where it sat before, on the same bite. If you shift it, the two layers don't match and the impression comes out doubled.

4. 04

   Hold still and pull off

   Close firm, without moving, for the time written on the kit's sheet (a few minutes). When it's ready, pull off decisively and look at the result.

Now everything reads on the teeth: sharp edges, defined surfaces, no smooth empty patches. If it looks like that, you're set.

06

The photo before you ship

Don't ship blind. Before you envelope anything, take a sharp photo of the impression, in good light, and send it to me on WhatsApp. I want to see it before it leaves.

This is the photo gate, and it's what saves you from a wasted trip. If it's good I tell you to ship; if I spot a bubble or a missing edge I tell you right away and you redo just that one, with the material left in the kit.

The one-hour rule: I usually reply within an hour. If I happen to be late and the impression is clearly sharp and complete to your eyes, ship it anyway without waiting for me. Better not to leave it sitting too long.

07

When and how to ship

You order and pay for the kit online (€20); shipping in Italy is €8. Once you have my ok on the photo, you seal the impression in a clean bag and ship it to the address I give you in chat. No express courier needed.

The silicone impression holds fine for one or two weeks, so there's no rush: if my ok comes in the evening, ship calmly the next day. From when I receive it, the 3D scan and the rest of the work begin.

08

Good impression or one to redo?

In the kit's sheet you'll find a photo of a good impression next to one to redo: compare them with yours before sending me the shot. Here's what I look at when I get the photo:

Good: sharp tooth edges

You can see the profile of every tooth, with the small dips between one tooth and the next. The surface is defined, not shiny and flat.

Good: no air bubbles

No craters or round holes on the part that touched the teeth. Bubbles come from paste rushed in or wet teeth.

Redo: doubled or blurred image

Doubled or smeared outlines mean the shell moved between the two layers, or you moved your jaw. It gets redone.

Redo: smooth empty patches

If part of the arch is smooth with no tooth marks, the paste didn't grab there: the exact information I need is missing.

When in doubt, send it anyway: I'd rather look at it myself and tell you if it's fine than have you guessing alone. That's what the photo gate is for.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the home impression