You may have heard the words ‘intraoral scanning’ mentioned by someone in your local dental practice during one of your visits. It’s a dental technology that’s much loved by dental professionals because it’s extremely efficient and saves a lot of time.
But what is it, and what’s the benefit for you as a patient?
What Intraoral Scanning Is
Intraoral scanning is a type of digital scanning that uses an electronic device to create a digital impression of a patient’s oral cavity. It provides exact details of a patient’s dentition through a high-resolution 3D image output.
It’s used for a variety of dental treatments, such as the precision design of crowns, veneers, prostheses, occlusal guards, and more. And because of the advanced technology of today, intraoral scanning is able to very accurately capture the contours and shape of the teeth and gums, which then enables your dentist to provide the most appropriate treatment.
How Does The Intraoral Scanning Technology Work?
In intraoral scanning, a device is passed over the mouth and teeth of the patient. It then emits a light source over the objects to be scanned, after which a 3D model is processed by the scanning software and displayed on screen in real-time.
It’s extremely useful for dentists because it simplifies the treatment process. The procedure is relatively short, and if your dentist is not satisfied with some of the details of the digital impression, he can simply recapture the impression again and be done in a few minutes.
Benefits of Digital Scanning
While dental practitioners are understandably happy with digital scanning, it’s worth noting that patients like you get to reap a lot of the benefits too. Here are several:
- It’s time-saving. Unlike traditional impression methods, which call for the use of a dental material that needs to stay in your mouth until it sets, digital scanning only takes 1 to 2 minutes in most cases.
- It eliminates gag reflex. Conventional impression procedures often cause gag reflexes or excess saliva in kids and in some adults. But the conical shape of intraoral scanners can reach every part of the mouth with little to no discomfort.
- It provides dentists with your exact oral model. Since 3D intraoral scanning is lauded for its precision, it eliminates all those variables that occur in traditional impressions that may lead to remakes. And because the resulting image is very detailed and precise, you can be sure of an extremely accurate diagnosis and treatment.
- It’s eco-friendly. With digital scanning, there is no more need to rely on conventional mouth trays and impression materials that are typically disposed of in landfills after use. And because the images can be stored in the computer, paper is not required at all. Plus, it makes it quite easy for your dental professional to retrieve and reference your file quickly.
We’re eco-friendly and digital!
White Dental Studio is an environmentally-friendly dental practice. Our office was designed with green initiatives in mind, and we strive to keep improving on our sustainable practices while giving you the best patient care possible.
We encourage you to give us a call at 541-708-6288 and ask about our green dental services. Or you can email us at office@mywhitedental.com for any inquiries.
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