- how to take correctly a digital impression:
In order to work correctly with a workflow completely digital, the dentist needs to change a little bit his normal procedure.
The dentist should change a little bit his method in order to take 100% of the benefits from the digital process and in order to pass correctly the information to the dental lab.
The first thing that the dentist should do is to retract as better as possible the gum of the patient. There are different methods to do this correctly, one is to use a specific cord in order to uncover the margin. It's very important to uncover the margin ring in order to permit the light of the scanner to hit it and acquire it correctly.
The second foresight that the dentist should have is, where is possible to prepare the teeth with a clear and marked margin ring.
I spoke with some dentists and they adopt a strategy where they create apposite provisional crowns useful to bare the margin once removed.
In general, the suggestion is to change a little bit the traditional method of the dentist in order to bare and mark as better as possible the margin ring.
With the traditional way to take the impression is the pressure of the alginate that uncovers a little bit the margin ring. When the dentist inserts with in the "analogic way" the tray with the material to take the impression, when he pushed the tray into the patient mouth, the pressure of his hand and the alginate retract a little bit the gum, for this reason with the intraoral scanner is necessary to change a little bit the strategy in order to take correctly an impression.
Finally, the dental lab should know when receiving a digital impression, and with his experience should adapt and know where can design the margin ring.
By the way, the 90% of the job in charge of the dentist, who should know how to take correctly a digital impression.
Filippo Maestri AE EMEA