Its smooth surface allows exact models, minimizing the effort to trim, for example, while producing temporaries. We can now use one impression, the same impression for today's diagnostic study models and tomorrow's cosmetic wax-ups, bite splints, orthotics and snore appliances, sports guards, whitening trays and making or remaking temporaries. Where alginate impressions can only be poured once, this alginate substitute impressions can be poured again and again, reused indefinitely for up to three months, all from the original impression. It is a stable 100 percent dust-free impression material that is stable in any working environment so we no longer get that annoying white alginate powder everywhere, including our dark colored uniforms.

StatusBlue is an innovative A-silicone alginate substitute formula that captures great impression detail, sets quickly and provides complete dimensional stability. No more hand fatigue from hand mixing because StatusBlue comes in automixed cartridges for their MixStar system and their convenient hand held guns so there is no 'Mixing the Mess' or bowls and spatulas to clean. The assistants raved about it because it was convenient, time efficient and so easy to use that even I, an RDH, could handle it. Diane Wright, brought home from an advanced hands-on dental conference she attended a new alginate alternative impression material for the assistants to use called StatusBlue® from Zenith Dental. That is until last year when my dentist, Dr. Then having to pour the alginate immediately before the impression could distort and cause dimensional change, only to find out after it set, left such distaste for me that I haven't taken an alginate impression since my graduation. Then impatiently waiting what seemed like forever till it set, hoping it had set completely before removal. There were so many variables to go wrong, such as wondering if I had mixed the proper ratio of alginate to water and hoping the water temperature was accurate. 'Mixing the Mess,' as we called it then, was agonizing for me. Do you still have those same fond memories I have from hygiene school of taking multiple alginate impressions on each other until we got it right? Even though my graduation was more than 29 years ago (1976), I can still remember it as if it was yesterday - quite possibly because taking alginate impressions has not changed much since then.

Pouring alginate impression