How Long Should Dental Study Models Be Kept?

Dental molds should not be reused.

Discard Once Treatment Begins

Teeth and gums change quickly with dental and orthodontic treatment.

Dental molds for appliances and orthodontics should not be reused once treatment has started and more than a month has passed. There are too many changes in the oral cavity, such as teeth moving and changes in the gums and tissue, that prevent the old model from fitting with any precision. Dental models should be discarded after appliances are fitted.

Keep All Parts of the Treatment Package

Dental molds should be stored at the dentist until treatment is complete.

Dental molds are part of the package and should be kept for as long as treatment is being conducted. Although it is not recommended that molds be reused, useful comparisons could be made between the past models and the current condition of the teeth.

Bottom Line

If a new appliance is necessary, insist on new molds.

Your dentist should keep dental study molds for as long as treatment continues. Reusing molds is not recommended, but they should be kept for comparison purposes. Although new molds are expensive and not usually covered by insurance, for best treatment results, new models should be made if new appliances are necessary.

References

• Dental Office: How Long Does Dental Laboratory Keep Examples and Models?
• Dr. Paul J. Brosnan, DMD; Burke, Virginia