Digital Impressions

As the field of dentistry advances, more and more dental technology are coming to the fore which is making the patient experience more convenient and discomfort-free in the dental chair. One such new technology we use at Simi Hills Dental is the taking of digital impressions.

Digital impressions make use of cutting-edge technology and allow us to construct digital 3D computer-generated copies of the soft and hard tissues of the mouth. The technology involves the use of laser and optical scanning to develop true-to-life imagery of your teeth and mouth.

Limitations of Traditional Dental Impressions

There is no doubt that the method of traditional impressions has a lot of advantages. However, it also comes with certain limitations that can make the accurate diagnosis and treatment of the patient difficult. Despite the improvement in the technology of traditional impressions, there are some drawbacks that are still not completely eliminated. These include the following:

• The traditional dental impression method is pretty messy. The use of dental putty means that traces of the material remain on the teeth, mucosa, and the skin and is a hassle to remove. The impression material can also stick to gloves and dental equipment and is scattered around the office.

• Traditional impression taking can be uncomfortable for patients also. People who have a strong gag reflex may feel anxious during the process and the dental cement can also flow down and block the airways, which can result in breathing troubles for you.

• The impression material may not be very accurate as it is liable to develop air bubbles and fractures. Plus, it may also feature poorly demarcated preparation boundaries which can lead to inaccurate prosthetic preparation.

• Patients may also experience some discomfort, particularly those who have a strong gag reflex, and some may also have trouble breathing because of the copious amount of dental cement in the mouth.

• The impression material may also contain issues like air bubbles, fractures, or poorly demarcated preparation boundaries.

Benefits of Digital Impressions

Digital impressions have a lot of benefits over traditional impressions:

• They offer a more accurate and detailed image quality which results in better designed tooth restorations.

• They eliminate the need for unpleasant dental cement which can cause anxiety and discomfort among patients.

• They eliminate material-related problems like fractures and air bubbles.

• Digital impressions can be taken in just a few seconds as opposed to traditional impressions which can take several minutes to set.

• Digital impressions can be enlarged, colored, and manipulated on the color screen and adjusted, as needed.

• Digital impressions also are very useful when it comes to making same-day CEREC dental crowns.

• Digital impressions can be stored electronically which can help save office space.

• Digital impressions can be transferred to dental labs and other dentists within a few seconds.

• They eliminate the need for disposable plastic trays and do not result in dental wastage.

Limitations of Digital Impressions

Digital impressions also have a few drawbacks, like all technology:

• Digital impression technology may require a learning curve as the tools are a bit sophisticated,

• The initial cost of technology required for digital impressions is quite steep. However, the technology will pay itself off soon because of the reduced need for dental material, paper, office space, and mailing cost.

As you can see, these issues are not a very big deal and can easily be solved with some dedication, hard work and time.

Although digital impressions may not be 100 percent effective for every single application, they go a long way towards providing patients with comfort and convenience during restorative treatment. If you are one of those people who dislike the use of dental impressions, Dr. Justin E. Stout DMD may offer the use of digital impressions for you.

Call us today at (805) 306-0200 to schedule an appointment with us.