Tissue conditioning materials as functional impression materials.

There has been much written on the subject of tissue conditioner materials. In the context of functional impressions however there exists a lack of consensus opinion. In this article various aspects of functional impression materials have been considered. These include the effects of powder to liquid mixing ratio (P/L) on the visco elastic properties, effects on the surface hardness of dental stone when these materials are cast, undercut reproducibility, compressibility and dimensional stability. Definitive conclusions are difficult to draw however it seems the evidence supports the use of tissue conditioners as functional impression materials.