History of Dental Impression Trays

The evolution of impression trays in dentistry spans over two centuries, beginning with Christophe François Delabarre in 1820, who introduced a semi-elliptical metal tray for improved accuracy with wax impressions. By 1833, Jean-Claude F. Maury provided the first published illustration of a dental impression tray, with Chapin A. Harris and Joseph Fox integrating the concept into British and American dental education by the 1840s. Throughout the 19th century, materials evolved from metal to porcelain, and to plastic in the second half of the 20th Century. Today, impression trays come in various materials and designs, but are gradually being replaced by digital scanning technology.