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Computerized 3-D Dental Impressions
In the office, Dr. Spitz takes hundreds of impressions every year in order to create crowns, bridges, veneers, and dentures, implant restorations and more. Having impressions, or dental models, taken is one of the least liked procedures in the office. Over the last three years, Dr. Spitz has been working with Brontes Technologies and 3M in testing, and now utilizing, the Lava Chairside Oral Scanner. This system provides a way to dispense of trays and 'gooey' materials, as well as relieves many patients of the gagging associated with taking dental impressions.
In addition to the comfort benefits, there are many benefits for the final aesthetics as well. The accuracy on the impression due to computerized precision creates better-fitting crowns, bridges, etc. for the final look as well as the occlusion, or the way the teeth fit together in the mouth.
The oral scanner, which has 20 tiny lenses, each taking 20 pictures in just one second - that's 400 pictures - works as three dimensional, real-time images of teeth rapidly appear one by one on a computer screen as a the scanner wand about the size of an electric toothbrush, is waived in a patient's mouth. Special 3-D glasses allow Dr. Spitz as well as the patient to see all angles of the teeth and final impression.
The whole process takes a minute or two, and in that time, we are able to capture an image of the patient's teeth that is then sent to a local dental lab to create the final restoration. It's a long way from the customary process of taking an impression using liquid and an impression tray.
Dentistry Goes Digital, Makes a Better ImpressionThree dimensional, real-time images of teeth rapidly appear one by one on a computer screen as a dentist waves a wand about the size of an electric…
Hear Dr. Spitz as he discusses the benefits of digital impressions and the 3M.
Listen to Dr. Spitz as talks about 3-D and its affect on digital impressions for the patient.
