{"id":470,"date":"2017-01-24T17:09:01","date_gmt":"2017-01-24T22:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/?p=470"},"modified":"2017-11-02T13:50:03","modified_gmt":"2017-11-02T17:50:03","slug":"mouth-scanner-for-dental-procedures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/mouth-scanner-for-dental-procedures\/","title":{"rendered":"Messy Dental Impressions are History Thanks to Digital Mouth Scanners"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nThe dreaded dental impression \u2013 getting one used to be awkward, messy, even downright unpleasant for many patients. But thanks to modern technology, digital mouth scanners have made creating dental impressions easier than brushing your teeth.<\/p>\n

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Creating a dental impression is the first step for several dental procedures, such as fitting a patient for braces or for dental restoration work, such as dentures, bridges, crowns. The impression is used as a mold, ensuring that the new appliances fit seamlessly with the patient\u2019s teeth.<\/p>\n

The old process of taking impressions involved filling a dental tray with alginate \u2013 a thick putty-like substance that\u2019s made from seaweed. Patients bite down on the alginate, which hardens into a flexible mold around their bite within a few minutes. The finished mold is then used to fashion the dental appliance. But as you\u2019d expect, alginate is not known for its superb taste. And if you have a sensitive gag reflex, the process of having an alginate impression made can be uncomfortable, to say the least.<\/p>\n

But impressionless<\/em> dental mouth scanners \u2013 small, handheld scanning devices made specifically for dental applications \u2013 have completely changed the process of dental impressions.<\/p>\n

Impressionless Digital Mouth Scanners Make a Great Impression with Patients<\/h2>\n

Impressionless scanners \u2013 scanners which rely on lasers and digital imaging to produce 3D renderings of patients\u2019 teeth \u2013 have eliminated the need for messy traditional dental impressions.<\/p>\n

The process for getting an impressionless scan is simple and similar to what a patient experiences during a typical dental exam. While the patient is seated in the exam chair, the dentist rolls up a computer monitor with an attached laser scanning device, which is slightly bigger than an electric toothbrush. The dentist moves the tip of the scanner over the surfaces of the teeth and the computer renders a 3D image on the computer screen. During the process, the patient can breathe, swallow, and talk just as they would during a regular dental exam.<\/p>\n

This image is sent to a laboratory which makes the desired dental appliance. For our patients having a CEREC crown or a bridge<\/a> made, the appliance may be milled right at the office and placed the same day!<\/p>\n

Not only are impressionless scans are far less messy and uncomfortable than traditional alginate molds, they\u2019re:<\/p>\n