Why your Practice should be taking Digital Impressions

Kingsport, TN

At Premier Dental Arts, we believe in embracing technology not only because it makes life easier, but it provides better results and saves time for doctors and patients. A digital scanner for impressions is one of the best ways to incorporate enhanced technology in your practice. Many restorations, cosmetic dental treatment plans, and other procedures require impressions as a baseline for treatment. In other words, most dental practices will get a lot of use out of a high-quality digital impression scanner. Today on the blog, Premier Dental Arts shares why your practice should be taking digital impressions whether you’re prepping for a crown, veneers, or other restoration because quality scans have everything to do with the results that your patients will get.

Why not use traditional dental impressions?

We hear you! Many dentists, especially those that have been practicing for years, are comfortable with what they are familiar with, which is traditional dental impressions. Despite these impressions being relied upon for years and resulting in some pretty good restorations, there is a more significant margin of error when taking actual impressions. The tray could be crooked. The assistant may not have inserted it properly. The patient could move while the material sets, rendering a bad impression. Distortions and bubbles are also common, which could impact the quality of the restoration. Ultimately, if the impression is off, the mold will be off too, and the restoration won’t fit as desired. That’s going to waste your time, and your patient won’t be thrilled.

Why digital impressions are better

Digital scanners reduce the chance of errors that are common with traditional impressions. Additionally, digital scans can be sent electronically to your dental lab, which cuts down on processing time. Saving time in this manner means that you can see more patients, and your patients are happier too because they won’t have to wait as long for their permanent restoration. Who likes wearing a temporary anyway?

Another benefit to using digital impressions is that it cuts down on the time it takes to seat the restoration. Since digital scans reduce human errors significantly, the restoration is likely to need fewer, if any, adjustments, cutting this appointment time down from 30-45 minutes to only 15 or 20.

So, how do you take the best digital impression?

To begin, the tooth needs to be isolated, and then you’ll need to apply the contrast medium on the tooth. This product can be purchased from your scanner’s manufacturer. It is safe for the patient and easy to use as it provides contrast on the scan. The reason a medium is recommended is to reduce the shininess of the tooth, which could distort the image. You then place the scanner in the patient’s mouth, capture the image, and then clean up the margins using the scanner’s computer software. You can add important notes that the lab needs to know. Most users find that it takes a little bit of practice to get the hang of using digital scanners, but the time spent is well worth it! Your patients will be grateful not to deal with messy, goopy impressions that cause them to gag and feel smothered.

Premier Dental Arts is a dental laboratory in Kingsport, Tennessee. We work as a team to ensure we produce the best results for our clients. To learn more about our dental laboratory services or to contact us directly, please call (888) 732-5221.