New Technology, Part 1: Intra-oral Scanner

When it comes to technology, we are in some very exciting times in the dental field. Think back to the last time your dentist needed an impression of your teeth. It could have been for traditional braces, Invisalign, retainers, a crown, a bridge, veneers, an implant, you name it. You most likely remember the impression material that was squished into your mouth in order to capture the form and details of your teeth. That was standard procedure at the dental office for many decades… until now. With the invention of intra-oral scanners, and their rapid technological advances over the last several years, those of you who can’t help but gag when just hearing the word “impression” finally have some hope!

An intra-oral scanner is basically a high-definition camera on the end of a wand that captures the form and details of your teeth at an astounding number of frames per second as it is moved around the inside of your mouth. The computer assembles all the images and creates an accurate three-dimensional image. In addition to being used for almost everything traditional impressions are used for, these scans can be used as study models that are viewed instantly on a screen, so we can review and even manipulate potential treatment results while you are present. For instance, if you are thinking about straightening your teeth with Invisalign, after a quick scan of your teeth you are able to see an immediate simulation of what the end result could be.

While there are still certain situations when traditional impressions are preferred to a scan, the benefits of an intra-oral scanner cannot be ignored. First of all, the goopy impression material is out of the equation. The scans are also extremely accurate, and because many of the impression steps are eliminated (no more mixing the material, nor relying on the material to flow exactly where the dentist needs it to go, and no pouring up stone models from the impression, etc.), there is less chance for error and distortion. This greater accuracy means that your dental restoration will potentially fit better from the start, and time in the chair associated with adjustments is reduced.

The intra-oral scanner also gives the dentist more control over your final restoration; let’s use a crown as an example. After the scan is completed, the crown can be designed on a computer in-office so that the dentist can incorporate any special details needed before the file is sent to the lab for the crown to be milled. At some point in the future, if the current technology trend keeps moving in the direction it is, we will be able to design and mill the highest-strength (Zirconia) crowns in our office the same day your tooth is prepared for a crown. That will reduce or eliminate the need for a temporary crown to be on your tooth for weeks until the final crown comes back from the lab. Many dental offices currently mill crowns in-office, but the material used for those crowns is not as strong as the Zirconia material we currently use for crowns. Because of that, while we could participate right now in the trend of in-office milling, we believe it is in the best interest of our patients to wait until the technology further advances to a point where we can mill crowns out of the strongest material possible. One thing we hold fast to around here is that we don’t compromise quality.

Colorado Precision Dentistry is one of the few facilities in the country that has it’s own lab and we are pushing the cutting edge with scanning, designing and fabricating the highest quality restorations. We do this with our lab director Dieter, who with 40 years experience in producing high quality crowns and bridges has skills and abilities that are rare in the industry today. It won’t be long before our lab will handle all aspects of the process including the milling of the crowns. We pursue all this because we know that if we can apply the level of precision that we produce in everything else we do that our standards will be uncompromising, and the results will be lasting and beautiful.

If you want to hear more about other new technology being integrated at Colorado Precision Dentistry, then be sure to check back next month for Part 2 of the “New Technology” series!