A **die** is a precise, positive replica of a prepared tooth made from an impression or digital scan. It is commonly used in dental laboratories and clinics to fabricate crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and veneers. A **die** helps the clinician and technician see the tooth margins and shape clearly outside the mouth. In many workflows, the **die** is part of a larger “working model” that also includes neighboring teeth.
A CR record commonly refers to a composite resin (tooth-colored) restoration noted in the dental chart. In everyday terms, it often means “a tooth-colored filling was placed or repaired.” It is widely used in general dentistry for small to moderate restorations on front and back teeth. Depending on the clinic’s documentation system, the CR record may describe the material, tooth, and surfaces treated.
check bite is a dental term often used for a small amount of resin-based material placed to help evaluate and adjust how teeth meet. It is commonly used during restorative dentistry to confirm occlusion (the way upper and lower teeth contact). Depending on the clinician and product, it may be used as a brief “trial” build-up or as a small bonded addition. It is typically applied chairside and set with a curing light when it is a light-cured resin material.
An **occlusal record** is a record of how the upper and lower teeth meet when the jaws close. It helps a dental team reproduce a patient’s bite relationship outside the mouth on models or in digital software. It is commonly used when making crowns, bridges, dentures, night guards, and other bite-related appliances. It can also support diagnosis and planning when bite position needs to be assessed or transferred accurately.
An interocclusal record is a “bite record” that captures how the upper and lower teeth meet. It is used to transfer a patient’s jaw relationship to a dental laboratory or an articulator (a device that simulates jaw movement). It commonly supports crowns, bridges, dentures, implants, and orthodontic planning. It can be made with materials like wax or silicone, or captured digitally in some workflows.
bite registration is a dental record that captures how the upper and lower teeth fit together when the jaw closes. It helps a dentist or dental lab reproduce your bite (occlusion) outside the mouth. It is commonly used when making crowns, bridges, dentures, aligners, and other restorations. It can be recorded with waxes, elastomeric impression materials, or resin-based materials.
A one-step impression is a dental impression technique where two viscosities of impression material are used at the same time in a single seating. It is commonly used to capture the shape of teeth and gums for crowns, bridges, inlays/onlays, and some implant restorations. “Impression” means a negative mold that records oral structures so a model (cast) or digital workflow can be made. The goal is to record fine details accurately without repeating multiple impression stages.
A two-step impression is a dental molding technique that records the shape of teeth and gums in two stages. The first stage captures the overall form using a thicker material, and the second stage captures fine detail with a thinner “wash” material. It is commonly used when making crowns, bridges, dentures, implant restorations, and some dental appliances. The goal is to produce an accurate replica of the mouth that a lab or clinic can use to make a fitted dental restoration.
A wash impression is a dental impression technique that uses a low-viscosity (“wash”) material to capture fine surface detail. It is commonly paired with a thicker “tray” or “putty” material that supports the wash layer. Dentists use it most often to record prepared teeth and gums before crowns, bridges, and similar restorations. The goal is a detailed, accurate mold that a dental lab can use to make a well-fitting restoration.
tray adhesive is a dental material used to help an impression material stick to an impression tray. It is commonly used when taking dental impressions for crowns, bridges, dentures, aligners, and other appliances. Its role is to improve retention between the tray and the impression material during removal from the mouth. Different tray adhesive products are matched to different impression materials and tray types.