Sahar Asaad Sabbak, BDS, MSc. Hanaa Mohammed Al-Elshaikh, BDS, MSc
Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, PO Box 5967, Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia

An accurate final impression for fixed prosthodontics requires careful management of the soft tissue. Various methods and medicaments have been described in the literature to create an acceptable environment for making an impression. This survey study was designed to find out the frequency of using different methods and medicaments for gingival displacement by prosthodontists and general practitioners in the different areas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was formulated and distributed among dentists in the target population. Responses from two hundred and thirty-two prosthodontists and general practitioners were included in this study. The results indicated that a majority of the respondents use the mechanico-chemical method of gingival displacement and most of those respondents use aluminum chloride medicament. It was also found that there is no statistically significant relationship between the medicament used and the degree, institution and year of graduation of the respondents from the dental schools.

Saudi Dental Journal 1998;10(2):67-79.