Anatomy of a properly taken toothprints thermoplastic bite impression.

The Toothprints thermoplastic bite impression technique, like most procedures in clinical practice, is technique-sensitive. The biometric information available from the thermoplastic wafer is directly proportional to the care with which the technique is performed, as well as the cooperation and understanding of the child. Although the amount of information and the detail we obtain with the impression of only a few teeth (tooth size and occlusal anatomy are able to be digitized to 50 microns), along with saliva for scent dog tracking and cellular DNA analysis, it is a properly taken full-arch bite impression that would provide the best opportunity for infinite concordant matches for identification, should the need arise. With that in mind, below are the steps for properly taking a full-arch bite impression.