How does my Winter Park Dentist Use 3D Scanning for Dental Checkups?
How does my Winter Park dentist use 3D scanning for dental checkups?
While 3D scanning has only recently matured enough for consumer and recreational applications, the technology was introduced to dentistry in the 1980s. Since that time, 3D scanning – also known as 3D intraoral scanning or "digital impressions" has not stopped advancing. This has made it superior to traditional "physical impressions" in almost all aspects. We believe you should expect a modern, local dental office to do most of your services using a 3D scanner. One of the most popular applications of a 3D scanner is to provide Invisalign treatment. But there are many more applications your Winter Park dentist uses to help improve your smile!
What is a 3D dental scan?
Put simply, we are referring to a three-dimensional "picture" of your teeth stored on a computer. The action of taking these "pictures" is called "scanning". During the scanning procedure, computer software takes thousands of images and stitches them together to make that 3D model of your teeth. While there are many different scanning technologies, the most common one in a dental office looks like a small handheld wand with a light and a camera at the end. Your Winter Park dentist and staff will use this scanning wand to lightly cover the multiple surfaces of all your teeth.
Why would I need a 3D scan of my teeth?
Any time a dental procedure requires something to be made for you, it will require some reference of how your mouth and teeth are currently. Typically, this would be for dental restorative work like making a denture, a dental bridge, or a dental crown. Another reason could be to make a wearable appliance like a nightguard or an orthodontic retainer. Traditionally, capturing this reference of your teeth would require the patient to bite down on a "goopy" or "gel" material to get an "impression" of the mouth. Patients typically dislike this traditional impression procedure as it can be an uncomfortable experience, an off-putting taste, or trigger a gag or choking reflex. With 3D scanning, your local dentist can avoid using the "goopy" substance altogether, providing the patient with more comfort in less time.
3 Top benefits of 3D scanning vs. traditional impressions?
While the most considerable benefit of 3D scanning for a patient is comfort, for a dentist, one significant benefit is the accuracy and detail of information. The accuracy of physical impressions is dependent on both the dental staff's training and skill, as well as the patient holding still. This is where 3D scanning has much less risk for inaccuracy.
Additionally, scanning provides so much additional detail that we can see real-color photos of your teeth as well. This allows the dentist and the dental labs to see things like stains, cavities, old fillings, or even cracks in teeth.
Finally, another significant benefit is that a "digital impression" is easier to care for. A physical impression must be made into a cast model out of dental "stone" material, a powder mixed with water to set and harden. This cast model is prone to cracking unintended bubbles and can often only be used once. If a cast model is accidentally dropped, broken, or lost – a patient must return to the dental office to have the impression performed again. With a 3D scan, the file can be re-used, copied, and modified with no limits.
Should I ask for a 3D scan at my next dental visit?
If you have questions about your dental health that can be better answered with the aid of some imaging, you should ask your Winter Park dentist if a wellness scan can be performed. This enables the dentist to visually share what they see in your mouth and can help explain diagnoses like cavities, tooth wear from grinding, discoloration, inflamed gums, and much more. Additionally, the scan will help save the "current state" of your mouth so there is a reference for the future in case there is a need to look back for future procedures. Finally, the scan can be used to evaluate Invisalign teeth straightening or making a nightguard to help alleviate symptoms of bruxism or TMJ.
Real examples of how 3D scans have helped patients in our office:
A patient lost their retainer during an international trip and, after returning home – noticed their teeth had already started to shift back (potentially wasting their hard work and money on their braces). Fortunately, we had a previous 3D scan on file with their perfectly straight teeth and used that to fabricate a new retainer, which fit well enough to reverse the shifting.
A patient suffered the unfortunate loss of one of their front teeth due to an accident and needed short-term and long-term replacement options. Traditionally, without the original tooth, a dental lab and dentist would need to try their best to create a replacement prosthetic tooth that matched their smile. However, we fortunately had a 3D scan from the patient who had previously considered Invisalign treatment. This scan allowed the dental lab to use the exact shape of their original tooth to fabricate a temporary and long-term prosthetic that was the same shape to match the natural look and feel of their teeth.
While traveling to their destination wedding, a patient trying to whiten their teeth was not getting the results they wanted from drug stores and over-the-counter products. She recalled that our dentist recommended a custom whitening kit with a much stronger dentist-prescribed concentration of whitening gel. Fortunately, we had a previous digital scan from making a nightguard for the patient and could take that scan to create a modified custom whitening tray. The custom trays and whitening kit were then mailed to the patient for immediate use without the patient having to come into our office at all.
Next time you're in our Winter Park dental office, you may notice the 3D scanner being used for your procedures or other patients. If you think a wellness scan is a good idea, ask one of our staff, and we can find a time to perform it for you!
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