Impression materials: does water affect the performance of alginates?

Alginic acid is a polysaccharide widely present in the cellular walls of brown algae. Alginate is widely used as a mold material in dentistry, in the production of prostheses and in the production of positives for small-scale casting. It is also used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries for various uses. The purpose of our study is to assess whether the chemical and physical characteristics of water can influence the characteristics and performance of these materials. These impression materials are often marketed as a powder to be mixed with water, but water is not included during the purchase. We have considered different articles, but unfortunately the results that speak of this topic are few and contain little information. We have therefore carried out a review of the present literature on Pubmed and Embase search engine. The same product used by two people with two different waters will have different characteristics. The possibility of knowing these effects could allow for more performing materials and above all for identical and reproducible materials. In conclusions, the results indicate to follow the manufacturer's instructions, and eventually turn to the use of automatic devices.