ADEX Dental Hygiene Licensing Exam 2025 – Complete All-In-One Guide to Succeed

The most popular type of gypsum for stone dies is Type IV gypsum. This material is designed for high-quality dental casts and provides excellent strength, dimensional stability, and resistance to wear and abrasion. Type IV gypsum, also known as die stone or hard stone, has a lower water-to-powder ratio compared to other types, resulting in a denser and more durable product that can withstand the stresses associated with the fabrication of dental restorations.

In dental applications, particularly for creating dies for crowns and bridges, the ideal material should capture fine details and maintain its integrity over time, which is why Type IV is favored. Its superior properties help in producing accurate and precise reproductions of dental impressions, essential for high-quality prosthetic work.

The other types of gypsum, while used in specific contexts, do not provide the same level of performance needed for stone dies. Type I is typically used for impression materials, Type III serves well for general casts but lacks the hardness of Type IV, and Type V is used in applications requiring high expansion, making it less suitable for precise die work.