Effect of relative humidity on the hydrophilicity of unset elastomeric impression materials

This study aimed to analyze the effect of relative humidity (RH) on the initial hydrophilicity of unset elastomeric dental impression materials. Initial water contact angles were studied on thin unset films of 1 polyether and 4 polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) impression materials at 20%, 50%, and 80% RH by high-resolution drop shape analysis. One of 4 PVS materials reached the polyether's initial hydrophilicity. This PVS showed increased hydrophilicity with increasing RH. The initial hydrophilicity of impression materials can be influenced by the RH level. Accounting for RH will enhance the clinical relevance of hydrophilicity studies.