How To Make Dental Impressions At Home - Tips For Getting It Right First Time!

Dental aligner treatment offers a lot of flexibility these days. You don't have to make repeated trips to a dentist if you don't want to – in fact, it's perfectly possible to manage your treatment completely remotely.

But if you do, you'll need to use a home impression kit, and it can be a little daunting. In this guide, we'll take you through everything you need to know about doing dental impressions at home – and what you should avoid.

At-Home aligner treatment options

Firstly, you need to shop around to find the right aligner provider for you. Some will only offer the option of getting a 3D scan with a dentist or in another clinic, while others will let you do impression kits at home.

There are lots of other factors to consider too, so don't just make your decision based on the impressions – you need to think about reliability, customer service, the types and lengths of treatment and of course the price.

But if you did want to go down the at-home route, the good news is that those providers do tend to be cheaper.

Why do you need an impression kit?

If you want to use dental aligners to straighten your teeth, you need to use an impression kit or get a scan of your current smile.

That's because aligners work by applying pressure to make small, gradual changes to push the teeth into their new positions.

So aligners are custom-made to fit your exact smile. Otherwise, you'd have to wear aligners that would be making much bigger movements, which would weaken your gums and could cause a lot of discomfort.

Using an at home impression kit means you can capture a record of the exact position of your teeth, and then the aligners can be made to make the specific adjustments you need.

Step-by-step guide to using an impression kit

This is a generic guide to using an at home impression kit, but you should read the instructions carefully that come with your aligners. This is a guide to the entire process but there's a chance your own provider has specific instructions you need to follow.

1. Clean your teeth

The first step before you use an impression kit is to make sure you've cleaned your teeth thoroughly, including flossing.

Otherwise, you're going to end up with inaccurate dental impressions, as there might be marks or even indentations left by food debris.

Give them a brush and then floss your teeth before you start with the impression kit, just to make sure it's a clean and accurate impression.

2. Check your impression trays fit

The next step is to make sure your dental impression trays actually fit your mouth. Not everyone has the same size of jaw, and while the trays that come with a dental impression kit are designed to be as generic as possible, if you have a particularly small or large jaw then you might need to request another one.

Do this before you do anything with putty. Put the tray inside your mouth and make sure it covers your teeth comfortably. It should be deep enough to reach the gum line without your teeth touching the bottom of the tray.

If you don't think each impression tray is big enough, get in touch with your aligner provider and they'll offer advice or send out a new set. You shouldn't need to pay for this so stand your ground if they try to charge you.

3. Prepare the putty

Next, you'll need to prepare the impression material, which is often a putty. It may involve two different putties that you need to mix together – mixing a soft and hard putty will cause them to react so that they're pliable enough to make an impression, but then they go hard quickly to preserve the impressions so that they survive the trip back to the labs. For these kits, knead the putty and form a uniform color – that'll let you know it's ready to use.

Follow the instructions carefully for the impression materials in your kit, making sure you don't jump ahead. You're going to be making several different impressions so don't skip steps to pre-mix putty if it risks drying out before you get around to using it!

4. Push your teeth in (don't bite!)

Most people find it's easiest to start making teeth impressions with the upper teeth. It's just a bit easier to get it to fit. So, once the putty is in the impression tray, put it inside your mouth and press it onto your upper teeth, until the tray reaches the gums.

It's important to not bite down at this stage. It's really tempting, but that can push the impression tray too far, or cause the putty to slip. You need to leave impressions of your teeth in the putty, not push your teeth all the way against the plastic bottom.

5. Time it

Unfortunately, it's not as simple as pushing your teeth into the impression tray and then removing it immediately. You usually need to wait a few minutes to allow the putty to start to set a little, otherwise, when you remove it, it'll be too soft and will move.

This bit can be a bit dull – but try not to rush it. If you make a mistake here and cause the impression material to shift then there's a good chance your provider will make you pay for a new kit. Use your phone or have another timer ready to help stick to accurate times – don't guesstimate!

6. Control the gag reflex

One thing you need to be aware of is that having a large plastic tray in your mouth can be a bit uncomfortable, and could cause you to gag.

Gagging's unpleasant anyway, but you also want to make sure you aren't moving the tray in your mouth.

Dental professionals have recommended a few tips to help stop you from gagging, including:

• Leaning forward while sat down
• Focussing on controlling your breathing
• Distracting yourself

Gagging is a physical reaction but it's partially mental too, so if you can find something to focus on to distract yourself, it can stop the gagging from happening.

7. Remove the tray

Once the time is up, it's time for you to remove the tray. The putty should've hardened around the teeth slightly already, so a bit of gentle pressure may be needed to pull it clear.

Don't force it too much, and while it might be tempting, don't keep twisting the tray to try and loosen it. If you twist it while the putty is still pliable, you'll mess up the impressions. And if it's set, then twisting it could still damage them.

It shouldn't be too tricky to just pull it free. Make sure it's clear of all your teeth before you remove it from your mouth and set it aside to finish drying.

8. Repeat the process

Once you've done one tray for your upper teeth, it's time for your lower teeth. Some kits will ask you to do four trays in total – two for the upper arch and two for the lower arch. This just helps to guarantee that your finished impressions are as accurate as possible.

It will still never be quite as perfect as getting a 3D scan with a dental professional but with your finished trays, you should have a good impression of what your teeth look like.

9. Check them over before returning

Once all the impressions are complete, set them aside to finish drying and then check them over. You should be able to see the shape of your back molars and front teeth quite clearly.

If you're concerned, take some photos of the trays and then get in touch with your aligner provider. They should be able to check them quickly and see whether it looks like you've done it right, so you can have confidence it's not a waste of time sending them off.

Once done, cover and pack them carefully as per the instructions, using the prepaid return label to send them to the dentists or the analysis center where they'll be examined and your aligners created for your custom treatment plan.

Final word

Typically it's quite easy to create a set of home dental impressions provided you follow the instructions carefully, and take your time. Rushing is the worst thing you can do, so use your watch or your phone to slow down the process and make sure you are careful throughout.

If anything at all is unclear about what you need to do, just contact your aligner provider. They'll be able to talk you through it in more detail – remember that they want to help you because, if you're a viable candidate, you'll be sending them a lot of money!

Many of them offer a guarantee if you aren't suitable for aligners, so they will make sure you create accurate impressions at home to give them the highest chance of making you a customer.

With everything finished, packed up and sent off in the mail, it shouldn't be long until you get your aligners sent to you, and before you know it you'll have the smile you should expect when paying for your treatment.