Can teeth be made without a conventional impression?

Is it possible to proceed without an impression tray and material sitting in the mouth? Digital scanning changes a great deal; but the conventional impression is not entirely a thing of the past.

You may be more anxious about the impression stage than about the dental treatment itself. The impression tray placed in the mouth, the taste and consistency of the material, or waiting for it to set, are difficult for some people.

Digital intraoral scanning offers a different option at this stage in many applications. The shape of the teeth and surrounding tissues can be recorded with a scanner instead of impression material.

What happens in a digital impression?

A small scanner moved around inside the mouth captures images of the teeth and the visible surrounding tissues. These images are brought together on a computer to create a three-dimensional model.

The dentist can examine this model on screen; in suitable treatments the record obtained can be used to plan and produce the prosthesis. The patient can also see the situation in their mouth on screen and gain a more concrete idea about the procedure to be carried out.

Taking an impression has not been abandoned here. The method of taking the impression has changed: a digital record is obtained instead of a physical mould.

Can it make a difference for people with a gag reflex?

Yes, it can. Not having a tray full of impression material sitting in the mouth provides significant relief for some patients.

In clinical studies comparing patient experience, digital impressions have been assessed more favourably in areas such as general comfort, taste and smell discomfort, and the sensation of gagging. That said, since a device is still placed in the mouth, it cannot be said that the gag reflex will disappear entirely. The person’s tolerance and the area to be scanned also matter.

If your previous impression experiences were difficult, it is helpful to tell your dentist before the procedure. That way the choice of an appropriate method can be assessed not only according to technical needs but also according to your experience.

Is the benefit only a more comfortable impression?

No. The digital record can also contribute to the workflow between the clinic and the laboratory.

Instead of waiting for the impression to be physically transported, files can be shared electronically. The dentist and the laboratory can work from the same digital record; planning and production processes can be linked to one another. This makes things easier particularly in terms of transferring information and organising the work.

Storing digital records is another advantage. Suitable records can help in making comparisons with the previous situation during later assessments. However, the existence of an old record does not mean that the mouth need not be assessed again for a new treatment.

Does taking the impression really take less time?

In some applications, yes. In a clinical study carried out for the fabrication of crowns, intraoral scanning was found advantageous in terms of both procedure time and patient experience. In another study, however, no significant difference was seen between the times for digital and conventional impressions. So rather than saying “a digital impression is always faster”, it is more accurate to say that it can shorten the time under suitable conditions.

The extent of the scan, the device, the conditions in the mouth and experience with the application affect the result. A record taken for a single tooth and the impression for a complex treatment covering the whole jaw are not the same procedure.

So why is a conventional impression still taken sometimes?

Because the digital method does not automatically give a more accurate result in every clinical situation.

Particularly in some implant-supported prostheses covering the whole jaw, the distribution of the implants, the scanner used and the recording method become important. In a clinical study in this area, the conventional impression showed higher accuracy than the digital impression in the full-arch implant applications examined. This result does not mean that all digital systems are inadequate; it shows that the method should be chosen according to the case.

Conditions in the mouth such as saliva, mobile soft tissues and the length of the area to be recorded can also affect the quality of the impression. In some situations a conventional impression or additional verification records may be needed.

For this reason, choosing a conventional impression does not always mean falling behind the technology. Sometimes it is the method that is appropriate for that treatment.

When a digital impression is taken, are the teeth prepared the same day?

These are two separate matters. Taking the impression digitally can make the process easier; but when the teeth are delivered also depends on the extent of the prosthesis to be made and on the production stages. A treatment using a digital impression may still involve design, production and clinical check stages.

At Akça Diş, intraoral scanning is used in many applications that require an impression. In situations where a digital impression is not considered suitable or where additional records are needed, conventional methods may also be used.

It is important that the patient has a more comfortable experience; but when the method is chosen, how the tooth to be made will fit in the mouth must be considered alongside it.