An extended guide pin for a direct implant impression.

A precise implant impression is essential for the passive fit of an implant superstructure. Although digital impressions are becoming more popular, conventional impression techniques are still frequently used. A direct (pick-up) open tray impression technique uses a guide pin. When an implant is deeply placed, the guide pin may not extend through the hole of the open tray. Therefore, wiping off excessive impression materials through the hole with a gloved finger may be necessary. However, this is messy, and the gloves may inhibit the polymerization of polyvinyl siloxane materials. Moreover, once an impression material polymerizes, accessing the guide pin may become difficult. To solve this problem, a cotton swab extension slightly larger than a guide pin’s screw hole has been suggested. However, the adjustment of the swab tip with a surgical blade is complicated. This article presents a time-saving tech-