An improved dental impression tray system provides a way to accommodate multiple arch sizes by incorporating a plurality of arch accommodating markers (AAM) and adaptive locking Mechanisms (ALM) into one adaptive dental impression tray (ADIT). Upon trying in an impression tray for a patient, the size of the ADIT can be adjusted by removing one or more AAMs and securely affixing the male ALM (hereafter mALM) into the female ALM (hereafter fALM) until a customized sized tray is configured which best fits the patient's anatomy. This novel arch accommodating and adaptive locking mechanism allows the operator to customize one tray to ideally fit each patient in a manner which, among other benefits, reduces time, cross-contamination, waste, expense, improves the accuracy of the intended impression and reduces patient discomfort because the ALM protects the patient from any rough or sharp edges. Additionally, the ADIT can be manufactured in various manners such as but not limited to: for disposable/single-use or sterilizeable/multiple use, can be made of one piece or multiple interlocking pieces, and can be designed to accommodate single-arch/open mouth impressions or dual-arch/closed bit impressions.
