MAKE A BETTER IMPRESSION WITH A DIGITAL INTRAORAL SCANNER

Every day, dentists and their teams work hard to provide patients with smiles they can feel proud of. Getting an accurate view of the dentition to fabricate a quality prosthetic or restoration is integral to the whole process. Advancements in digital dentistry have led to a paradigm shift for prosthodontists, orthodontists, periodontists, oral surgeons, pediatric dentists, restorative dentists and general practitioners alike. They now must choose between using traditional impression methods or taking the opportunity to upgrade to digital systems.

Alkadi called digital scanners “pivotal game changers,” but Versaci reported that only a little more than half of dentists currently use intraoral scanners. The benefits of digital intraoral scanning remain clear, including elimination of much of the human error involved in capturing accurate impressions as well as increasing the accuracy of dental restorations.

The following are some more concrete benefits to integrating intraoral scanning into your practice, and some news about an exciting new scanner that can improve your restorative workflow.

GETTING RID OF THE GOOP

Traditional impressions make dentists, assistants and patients feel anxious and stressed. Patients experience embarrassment and discomfort if they gag on the trays and gloppy impression material. If they become fearful of dental visits because of this experience, they might skip treatment options that could improve their quality of life or overall health.

Digital impressions are quick, easy and, frankly, impressive. Patients who fear impression trays will be thrilled that one anxiety-provoking part of their visit has been eliminated as accurate images of their mouth are created with what seems like a wave of that magic (digital) wand. And because positive and negative feedback travels fast, they’ll tell their friends about the great experience or leave a review, and your office’s reputation will benefit.

SPEED AND CONVENIENCE

With a digital scan, the image is ready in minutes, giving real-time immediate feedback for the dentist and the patient. There’s no need to send an impression to the lab, and then keep your fingers crossed that it doesn’t break on the way. In addition, practices don’t have to keep supplies in inventory to pour up molds.

You can use the images for in-office fabrication or securely send them by computer to the lab. In either case, you can seamlessly integrate digital scans into CAD/CAM systems for efficient fabrication. 

HIGHER-QUALITY RESTORATIONS

Impression accuracy is directly connected to accurate restoration fit. Distortions, voids or a bad fit of traditional impressions can compromise periodontal health, function and longevity of the restoration, which means more frustrating redos and appointments. As noted by Dhull and colleagues, intraoral scanners capture 3D images of the mouth using sophisticated optics, imaging sensors and software algorithms.

Intraoral scanners aren’t without their complications. Alkadi describes the accuracy of intraoral scans as being influenced by factors that include operator skill and the patient’s anatomy. For these reasons, scanner selection is one of the most important factors for eliminating much of the margin for error.

DEXIS recently updated its wireless scanner, the DEXIS Imprevo. The DEXIS 3800 series already offered a light, fast and simple-to-use scanner. However, the Imprevo scanner tip is 20% slimmer than its predecessor and it’s autoclavable, offering precision, speed and ease of disinfection. The DEXIS team, which designed the Imprevo upgrade, has a global reputation for imaging excellence.

Optics serves as one of the Imprevo’s most impressive aspects. With a 25-mm depth of field (39% greater than the previous generation), the scanner can access deeper impressions and tight interproximal spaces. Its “dual sensor technology” combines a laser, which produces a better and brighter light source, with white LED lighting for sharper and ultra-detailed images.

The improved capture of realistic colors and textures lets clinicians see hard and soft tissues better. The scanner features “enhanced texture capture,” which integrates mesh and texture, improving margin definition. Having 3D images plays an important role in patient communication. Clinicians not only benefit from the diagnostic clarity, but they can merge high-resolution textures onto the 3D mesh and show the realistic digital renderings to patients, which can aid communication that leads to treatment acceptance.

Within the DTX Studio™ Clinic platform (included with the Imprevo), AI in the SmartFusion feature can automatically merge intraoral texture/mesh scans with CBCT data to provide a comprehensive 3D view of the patient’s underlying anatomy.

IT’S A GOOD FIT

Dentistry continues to evolve, making it difficult to decide which innovations to add to the treatment experience. Enhancing patient comfort, improving the restorative process and capturing more accurate data for a better prosthetic design should be a clear “yes” from solo to multi-practitioner practices. Digital scanning with Imprevo creates a literal “good fit” and will certainly make a good impression on the practice and the patients.

REFERENCES

_{Alkadi L. A comprehensive review of factors that influence the accuracy of intraoral scanners. Diagnostics. 2023;13(21):3291. doi:10.3390/diagnostics13213291}

_{Versaci MB. ACE Panel report finds about half of dentists use intraoral scanners. ANA News. September 21, 2021. adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2021/september/ace-panel-report-finds-about-half-of-dentists-use-intraoral-scanners}

_{Dhull KS, Nagar R, Mathur P, et al. Intraoral scanners: Mechanism, applications, advantages, and limitations. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2024;16(Suppl 3):S1929-31. doi:10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_1299_23}