How to Create a Mold of a Mouth
- 1). Measure out 2 oz. water and 2 oz. alginate if you're planning to make a mold of only your lips or your teeth; use a separate measuring cup for each. Artplace.com recommends 4 oz. of alginate for a full face mold, so you can choose a larger amount if you need a bigger mold.
- 2). Place your alginate in a small mixing bowl. Pour the water on top of the alginate and mix with a spatula. Don't worry if the mixture looks lumpy: That's part of the process. Once your alginate mixture is fully combined, use it up before it sets (again, usually about three minutes).
- 3). Fill a dental tray with alginate if you're molding your teeth. Insert the dental tray into your mouth and bite down. Keep your mouth closed until the alginate sets (the alginate will feel solid once it's set). If you're making a lip mold, pour the alginate into a shallow bowl, then pose your mouth into a smile, pucker or any other desired shape and sink your mouth into the shallow bowl. Breathe through your nose and remain still until the alginate sets (touch the alginate left in the bowl; when it's solid, your mold will be, too).
- 4). Pull your lips back from the alginate. If you're making a dental mold, open your mouth and pull the mold out, wiggling it with your fingers if it's stuck. Place the mold in a clean bowl, then fill the bowl with cold water. If you're not satisfied with the way the mold came out, repeat the process.
- 5). Measure 3 oz. each of water and dental lab stone. Pour them both into a clean mixing bowl and mix together with a whisk. You have 20 minutes until this mixture sets.
- 6). Remove your mouth impressions from the bowl of water and dry them with a paper towel. Fill the lip cavity with dental lab stone. Pour a small amount of dental lab stone on a paper plate to act as the base for your mold. Wait a couple of minutes for the lab stone to thicken like a pudding, then invert your lip mold on the base you poured onto the paper plate. Repeat with your teeth impression and any other molds until they're all resting face-up on a lab-stone base. Let the molds dry for at least one hour.
- 7). Tug the alginate away from the filled lab-stone mold. Let the mouth molds dry for one to two days. Plaster gains strength as it sits.
- 8). File away any rough edges or extra plaster using a metal file. Your mouth molds are now ready for your latest costume, art sculpture or other use.
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