Traditional dental impressions can be uncomfortable, especially if you have a sensitive gag reflex or dislike the feel of impression material in your mouth. An intraoral scanner replaces many conventional impressions with a small digital device that captures highly detailed images of your teeth and bite without trays filled with putty.
As the scanner moves around your mouth, it builds a three-dimensional digital model that our dentist can review immediately. That model can then support restorative, orthodontic and other treatment planning while giving you a clearer view of what our team is seeing.
How an Intraoral Scanner Creates a Digital Impression
The scanner uses a small handheld wand to capture a series of images as it moves over your teeth. Specialized software combines those images into a detailed 3D model of your mouth, including tooth shape, spacing and bite relationships.
Because the information is captured digitally, there is no need to wait for impression material to set or for a physical model to be poured before the records can be reviewed. Our dentist can inspect the scan on-screen, confirm that the necessary areas have been captured and rescan a small section if more detail is needed.
A More Comfortable Alternative to Traditional Impressions
Conventional impressions can require bulky trays filled with material that must remain in your mouth while it hardens. Digital scanning eliminates that process for many procedures and can make record-taking easier to tolerate.
This can be especially helpful if you have a strong gag reflex, difficulty breathing comfortably through your nose or simply dislike the taste and texture of traditional impression materials. The scanner still requires you to keep your mouth open while images are collected, but the process can usually be paused whenever needed.
Using Digital Scans for Dental Crowns and Restorations
Accurate impressions are important when a restoration needs to fit precisely against a prepared tooth and work properly with the surrounding bite. Digital models can provide the information needed to design restorations such as dental crowns while reducing reliance on conventional impression methods.
The digital scan can also become part of an in-office workflow for certain restorations. When same-day treatment is appropriate, the scan can move directly into computer-assisted design and fabrication without first creating a physical impression and sending it to an outside laboratory.
Digital Records for Bridges and Other Restorative Care
Intraoral scanning may also support treatment involving dental bridges and other restorative procedures. The digital model records the relationship between the prepared teeth, neighboring teeth and opposing bite so the restoration can be designed around your individual anatomy.
Our dentist will determine whether a digital impression is appropriate based on the restoration being planned and the information needed for the case. Some situations may still require additional records or another impression method.
Supporting Invisalign® and Orthodontic Planning
Digital scanning is especially useful when detailed models of tooth position are needed for orthodontic treatment. Instead of creating plaster models from physical impressions, the scan can provide a three-dimensional record that is ready for digital planning.
For patients considering Invisalign®, the digital model can help document crowding, spacing and bite relationships before treatment begins. Our dentist can then use those records as part of the broader orthodontic evaluation and treatment-planning process.
Seeing Your Teeth in Three Dimensions
One advantage of digital impressions is that the records can be viewed immediately on a screen. Rather than relying only on verbal explanations, you may be able to see areas of wear, alignment concerns or other visible features of your teeth from angles that are difficult to view in a mirror.
That visual information can make treatment discussions easier to understand. It also gives our dentist a useful tool for explaining how a restoration, orthodontic plan or other procedure relates to your existing teeth and bite.
Accuracy Matters Beyond Comfort
Patient comfort is an important benefit of digital scanning, but the technology also provides highly detailed records that can be measured and reviewed electronically. If part of a scan is incomplete, that specific area can often be captured again without repeating the entire impression.
Digital files can also be stored, compared and integrated into other treatment-planning systems. This helps create a more connected workflow between examination, design and fabrication when several digital technologies are involved in your care.
Experience With Digital Impression Technology
Dr. Anil Dwivedi has used digital impressions for more than seven years and has more than five years of experience with intraoral scanning and other advanced digital treatment-planning technologies.
This experience allows our dentist to use digital scanning where it provides a practical benefit while still selecting other methods when a particular procedure requires them. The technology supports the clinical process, but the quality of treatment still depends on careful evaluation and planning.
How Intraoral Scanning Fits Into Digital Dentistry
An intraoral scanner often serves as the starting point for other digital workflows. The resulting 3D model can contribute to restorative design, orthodontic planning, same-day treatment and other forms of digital dentistry used in the office.
Unlike CBCT imaging, which shows internal structures such as bone and tooth roots, an intraoral scanner records the visible surfaces of the teeth and surrounding areas. These technologies provide different information and may be used together when a treatment plan benefits from both types of records.
When a Digital Impression May Be Used
You may encounter intraoral scanning during treatment for a crown, bridge, orthodontic appliance or another procedure that requires an accurate model of your teeth. The exact role of the scan depends on what is being created and how the information will be used.
Our dentist will explain why a digital impression is being taken and what happens with the resulting model. If another type of record is more appropriate for your treatment, that will be discussed as part of the planning process.
A Simpler Way to Capture Detailed Dental Records
An intraoral scanner in Vienna, VA, can make the impression process more comfortable while producing detailed digital records for a variety of dental treatments. If your care requires an accurate model of your teeth or bite, our dentist will determine whether digital scanning is the appropriate method.
Contact our office at 703-734-1080 to schedule an appointment and learn how digital impressions may be used as part of your dental care.
Frequently Asked Questions About Intraoral Scanners
What is an intraoral scanner?
An intraoral scanner is a handheld digital device that captures images of your teeth and surrounding structures. Those images are combined to create a three-dimensional digital model that can be used for treatment planning and fabrication.
Does an intraoral scan replace traditional impressions?
It can replace conventional impression material for many procedures, although not every case uses the same workflow. Our dentist will choose the impression method that provides the information needed for your treatment.
Is intraoral scanning comfortable?
Many patients find digital scanning easier to tolerate because it avoids trays filled with impression material. The scanner is moved around your teeth, and the process can usually be paused if you need a short break.
How long does an intraoral scan take?
Scanning time varies according to how much of your mouth needs to be recorded and the type of treatment being planned. The images are available immediately once the necessary areas have been captured.
Can an intraoral scanner be used for dental crowns?
Yes. Digital impressions can provide detailed records for crowns and other restorations. When appropriate, those records may also connect directly with a same-day digital design and fabrication workflow.
Can intraoral scanning be used for Invisalign®?
Yes. A digital scan can create a detailed model of your tooth positions and bite for orthodontic evaluation and treatment planning. Our dentist will determine how those records fit into your Invisalign treatment plan.
Does an intraoral scanner use radiation?
No. Intraoral scanners capture surface images using optical technology rather than X-rays. They are different from digital X-rays and CBCT imaging, which provide information about internal dental structures.
How do I schedule an appointment that may involve digital scanning?
Call 703-734-1080 to schedule an appointment with our dentist. We can explain whether an intraoral scan is appropriate for the treatment you are considering.
