Digital Dental Impressions: No More Goop
Digital Dental Impressions: No More Goop Angela M. Boehler, D.M.D. What is the difference between conventional impressions and digital dental impressions? To make a conventional dental impression the dentist or assistant will select a stock tray in a size that will fit as closely as possible to the patient. Then, a thick liquid material is dispensed into an impression tray. After the liquid material is poured into the tray, it is then placed onto either the upper or lower set of teeth so that it covers the entire dental arch. After some length of time, the liquid material sets and hardens, and become a solid rubber mass. The tray is then removed from the mouth and is picked up or mailed to the dental laboratory for further processing. Stone is poured into the hardened impression and when set a dental cast is produced. Digital dental impressions are obtained using an intraoral scanner, which consists of a wand-like to...