With digital 3D scanners, dental impressions are more efficient than ever.
If you are in need of dental work like crowns, dental implants, or dentures, your dentist will first take an impression of your teeth and mouth. Traditionally, this has involved biting down on dental putty to create a mold – which can be an unpleasant experience for patients with sensitive teeth or a strong gag reflex. With digital impressions, however, dentists can use a scanner to create a digital 3D image of the mouth.
How Does It Work?
Your dentist will use a wand-like scanning tool to capture all the details of the hard and soft tissues of your mouth. As the device scans, computer software creates a highly accurate, 3D replica of your mouth that can be used for a variety of dental work. The entire process typically takes less than two minutes.
The Benefits of Digital Impressions
More enjoyable experience.
Digital impressions eliminate the need to sit with unpleasant dental putty in your mouth. Many patients dislike dental putty for its taste, the way it triggers their gag reflex, or how it irritates their sensitive teeth.
Efficient process.
The scanner can create a 3D impression in under two minutes, much faster than waiting for dental putty to harden.
Accurate results.
Your dentist is able to monitor the impression as the device scans your mouth and ensure that there are no errors in the scan. Additionally, a retake of the scan is far easier than redoing a dental putty impression if something is not right.
Faster restoration.
While traditional impressions involve creating a physical cast of your teeth after the mold is set, a digital 3D image is ready immediately after the scan is complete, expediting the restoration process.
Meet the Author
Rachel Studebaker, BA, English, Summa Cum Laude
Rachel Studebaker is a graduate of Lee University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in advertising with the distinction of summa cum laude and served as editor-in-chief of the university’s biannual magazine, The Vindagua. After graduation, Rachel joined CMC Media & Marketing Group as an editor. Today, she serves as managing editor and is responsible for leading the editorial team in the development and completion of content for 17 publications involving health & wellness, business, sports, and lifestyle published in print and online for HealthScope® and CityScope® magazines as well as Choose Chattanooga® and Choose Huntsville® – premier publications serving Southeast Tennessee, North Georgia, and North Alabama. In addition to writing, editing, and coordinating copy, Rachel oversees networking and reputation management for the company’s publications. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, attending concerts, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her husband.
