We can divide the applications performed in dentistry into two classes as direct applications such as filling, root canal treatment and indirect applications such as veneers and night plates that we apply immediately in the mouth.
In order to perform applications that we cannot complete directly in the mouth, we take impressions in dentistry in order to replicate the oral environment using various methods.
In impressions taken with traditional methods, impression materials with a fluid consistency are placed into the mouth with special spoons. After these impression materials harden in the oral environment for a while, they are removed from the mouth and the model is obtained by pouring plaster into the negative copy obtained. This model is then scanned and transferred to the computer environment and the design and production stages begin.
With the introduction of the digital impression process into our lives, this procedure has changed and the process has shortened considerably.
How to Take Digital Measurements?
With the developing technology, the images of teeth and surrounding tissues are precisely digitized using intraoral scanners specially developed for this job. These images are overlaid using special software. In this way, all the steps in the traditional method are eliminated and the condition of the teeth and surrounding tissues of the person becomes ready for design in the digital environment in the form of a 3D model.
How Long Does the Digital Impression Process Take?
In the traditional impression process, a minimum of 1 hour is required to prepare the impression material, place it in the mouth, harden and remove it, pour the plaster and make it ready for processing.
In digital impression procedures, the time is short enough to be expressed in seconds, although it may vary according to factors such as the device used, software and the physician’s experience in this field. Thanks to the developing devices and accelerating software, it takes an average of 1 minute for the scan to be taken and the digital model to be ready for a single jaw.
Is There Pain During Digital Impression Procedure?
Our patients do not feel any pain during digital impression taking. You can roughly think of the procedure as taking a photo of your teeth with a small camera.
Is There Radiation Exposure During Digital Impression?
The intraoral scanning devices used today work in the form of a camera and do not expose the person or the environment to radiation in any way.
Which Procedures Can We Perform with Digital Measurement?
- Smile design applications,
- Full ceramic crowns
- Zirconium crowns
- Metal-supported porcelain crowns
- Transparent orthodontic aligners
- Lamina restorations
- Implant prostheses
- Surgical plates used in implant operations
- Inlay/Onlay restorations
What are the Advantages of Digital Measurement over Traditional Methods?
- The impression taking time is considerably shortened.
- Thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, restorations can be produced by taking micron precision measurements
- Allows us to measure comfortably in patients with nausea reflex
- Eliminates intermediate stages, allowing treatment to be completed in a very short time
- Measurements can be recorded on the computer and re-examined when necessary.
- By using the digital measurement method instead of measuring materials, chemical residues are prevented. Therefore, it is an environmentally friendly application.
Uzm. Dt. İlkay Gül
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