Although dentistry has changed with the advent of time, both in practice and methods, intraoral scanner uses have become one of the most revolutionized innovations in recent years. To obtain impressions, patients’ discomfort and imprecise impression techniques remained a challenge for a long time. But with the rise of digital dental impressions and 3D dental imaging, dentists are able to work with express, accurate treatments and a more enjoyable patient experience. Here, we discuss the main intraoral scanner uses and show how it influences the CAD/CAM dentistry, digital impression technology, and orthodontic scanning categories.
What is an Intraoral Scanner?
It is a digital device able to perform 3D images of the oral cavity. They offer the extra accuracy and comfort that can’t come with traditional impression materials. The images that are captured can then be used in CAD/CAM dentistry, digital impression technology and 3D dental imaging to create integrated workflows in the practice.
How Does an Intraoral Scanner Work?
The intraoral scanner uses depend on modern optical and laser technologies to take extremely precise pictures of the oral cavity. The process involves:
- Mouth Scan: The scanner tip is moved around the teeth and gums to take numerous photos.
- Digital Impression Processing: The software combines these images to create a 3D model of the dental impression.
- CAD/CAM Dentistry Integration: The digital impressions are digitally designed and manufactured to create crowns, bridges, dentures, and aligners of the highest accuracy.
Why Dentists Use an Intraoral Scanner?
Intraoral scanners, known for their efficiency and accuracy, are used for making digital impressions in dentistry. Some key reasons to use these devices include:
- Sensory and Plasticity: No Risk of Material Distortion or Discomfort for the Patient: Remove errors associated with traditional impressions.
- Better Patient Experience: The scanning is done quickly and is non-invasive.
- Seamless Digital Workflow: Working with CAD/CAM dentistry and digital design software.
- Enhanced interaction: Helps illustrate the treatment plans through 3D dental imaging
Essential Intraoral Scanner Uses
1. Digital Dental Impressions
One of the most critical intraoral scanner uses is creating digital dental impressions. Digital is a much faster, more accurate, and patient-friendly alternative to the use of uncomfortable impression trays that have been used in traditional methods.
Importance: Digital impressions boost the comfort of sensitivity in patients and cause less pain in retakes.
Benefits: More accurate, which means better fitting restorations with fewer desired adjustments.
2. CAD/CAM Dentistry
Intraoral scanner uses lie at the centers of CAD/CAM Milling Bur, where digital scans are directly fed into computer-aided design and manufacturing systems. It enables you to make crowns, veneers, and even bridges, in house and on the spot.
Importance: Minimizes, or eliminates, the time the patient must wait for restorations so they can be provided with a same-day procedure.
Benefits: High accuracy means restorations fit perfectly like they were made for the patient, eliminating the need for multiple visits.
3. Diagnostic 3-Dental Imaging
The intraoral scanner uses 3D dental imaging is another important application. Dentists can gain specific detailed scans with full-arch scanning that assist in matching cases such as diagnosis. The detection of cavities and gum disease, surgery preparation, occlusal discrepancies, and other professional issues.
Importance: A high-resolution imaging that gives an in-depth view of the dental structures.
Benefits: Early detection avoids big dental issues that may improve effective long-term patient management.
4. Digital Impression Technology for Orthodontics
Digital impression technology is an important asset of orthodontics especially with the emergence of clear aligners and personalized braces. The ability for orthodontists to develop treatment plans tailored to the patient has continued to evolve as intraoral scanner uses expands.
Importance: Requires patients to feel less discomfort from traditional molds thus increasing the rate of patient compliance
Benefits: Quicker, more accurate production of aligners and braces.
5. Orthodontic Scanner for Treatment Planning
An orthodontic scanner is a type of intraoral scanner with the purpose of taking highly accurate data to be used strictly for the purposes of orthodontic treatment planning. These scans are used to simulate moving teeth in the future so that patients can see how their treatment will progress.
Importance: Increases case acceptance by illustrating predicted results of the treatment.Benefits: Improves the accuracy of orthodontic treatments with minimum errors
Different Types of Intraoral Scanners
- Handheld 3D Scanners: They are portable and easy to use for chairside scanning.
- Wireless Intraoral Scanners: Provides improved portability at the cost of cables.
- Orthodontic scanners: As the name implies, these are designed with aligner planning and orthodontic procedures in mind.
- CAD/CAM Integrated Scanners: Purpose-built for direct restoration processing directly in the clinic.
Each of these intraoral scanners has the most significant role in digital impression technology, which makes the intraoral scanner uses indispensable for modern dentistry.
Tips and Tricks for Using Intraoral Scanners Effectively
Here are some tips from the experts to get more out of the intraoral scanner:
- Optimize Scanner Positioning: Maintain a 90° angle with the scanner tip for digital dental impressions.
- Move Slow and Steady Motion: The 3D dental images are more accurate if the motion is steady and slow.
- Ensure Proper Lighting: avoid excess ambient light to increase accuracy of the scanner
- Calibrate Frequently: To ensure continued precision of the scanner, it is critical to routinely calibrate both the software and hardware components.
- Keep the Tip of the Clean: Keeping: Regular cleanliness prevents distortion in CAD/CAM dentistry workflows.
- Train your Team: Make certain all staff members recognize how to scan properly in order to provide better patient care.
- Utilize Software Features: Use software-specific features for better results, use built-in AI and use typical auto-correct features.
- Monitor Quality of Scan in Real-Time: Find out all the missed areas while scanning and prevent retaking the scan.
How To Select The Right Intraoral Scanner
Consider the following when selecting an intraoral scanner:
- Speed and Precision: An effective scanner minimizes the time spent on the chair and increases accuracy.
- CAD/CAM Dentistry Integration: Integration along with the existing software is vital in dental practices.
- Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface improves workflow efficiency.
- Cost and ROI: Also, try to think long-term regarding the benefits and amount of productivity gains.
Check out Aidite Dental Scanners, and A-IS Pro Dental Scanner for high-quality intraoral scanners.
The Aidite A-IS Pro Dental Scanner is a 3D scanning software that is capable of meeting the diverse 3D scanning needs of contemporary dental practices. The A-IS Pro is an upgraded version of the A-IS that combines speed, accuracy, and functionality, a game changing solution for dentists!
Key Features of Aidite A-IS Pro:
- High-Speed Scanning: The A-IS Pro cuts scanning time significantly. Occlusion scans can be done in 8 seconds, while a full jaw scan takes only 58 seconds.
- Outstanding Precision: This scanner delivers more than 10 micrometer precision results that can guarantee exceptional results wherever used in dental applications.
- Wide Range of Applications: The A-IS Pro offers support for different scenarios, scanning everything from abutment teeth to gypsum models to impressions to even triple-tray impressions to articulators.
- High End Imaging: High resolution images are taken with minimum interference from the outside as the scanner is armed with dual 1.3 megapixel cameras along with blue light technology.
- Ease of Use: With a total weight of 5 kg and dimensions of 260mm x 270mm x 420mm, the A-IS Pro is compact and easy to incorporate into any dental laboratory.
- Open System Compatibility: A wide range of output formats (including STL, OBJ and PLY) means that this scanner easily integrates into multiple workflows and can be used with a wide variety of CAD software.
- Dynamic Articulator Scanning: The dynamic scanning functions (head swing range 0-5°) of the A-IS Pro allow an accurate reproduction of the articulator status.
You can enhance efficiency, accuracy, and streamlined workflow by incorporating Aidite A-IS Pro Dental Scanner in your practice, leading to positive patient outcomes and satisfaction.
FAQs
Q1. What are the main intraoral scanner uses?
They are mainly used for digital dental impressions, CAD/CAM dentistry, 3D dental imaging, and orthodontic planning.
Q2. How does digital impression technology fasten dental procedures?
Provides more precise results, lower invasion to patients, and faster operation time.
Q3. Can intraoral scanners be used for orthodontics?
Indeed, orthodontic scanners are designed to scan teeth in detail to fabricate the aligners and braces.
Q4. What is the difference between an orthodontic scanner and a general intraoral scanner?
An orthodontic scanner has additional features for tooth movement simulations and aligner planning.
Q5. Is CAD/CAM dentistry possible without an intraoral scanner?
No, CAD/CAM dentistry relies heavily on digital impression technology for accurate restorations.
Final Words
The Intraoral Scanner has a wide expanse of applications in the field of contemporary dentistry as it has made digital dental impressions, CAD/CAM dentistry, and 3D dental imaging possible in dentistry. For orthodontic treatments or restorative work, these devices provide unmatched precision, efficiency, and patient comfort. Innovations in digital impression technology are moving rapidly, so the returns for an orthodontic scanner (or a general intraoral scanner) can be high as new techniques come into play. For cutting-edge dental scanning solutions, explore the latest intraoral scanners from Aidite today!