Traditionally, dental impressions were taken by inserting large metal trays and liquid plaster against the upper and lower jaw. The material sets to become an elastic solid, providing a detailed replica of a patient’s smile. This method is uncomfortable, unpleasant, time-consuming and often inaccurate as opposed to the iTero digital scanner.
An iTero scan digitally captures the form and structure of the tooth and gumline through a series of 3D pictures. This digital impression scanner performs parallel confocal scanning by capturing 100,000 laser points in perfect, sharp focus, providing greater accuracy to patients and virtually eliminating return appointments for readjustments. A new and improved digital map of the mouth helps our team educate our patients for a better in-office experience.
By using intra-oral optical scanning devices, the need for patients to have a messy conventional dental impression taken of their teeth is eliminated. Digital optical impressions enable the dentist to more efficiently and effectively obtain an accurate computer-generated representation of their patient’s teeth along with the surrounding tissues. In addition to being much more comfortable for the patient, a digital impression eliminates the need for the dentist to either create a stone model from the impression, or to mail the impression directly to the laboratory for any type of work to be done. Digital impression information is transmitted electronically, significantly reducing the turnaround time of any needed outside laboratory work.
