Digital Impressions
Until recently, there were no alternatives: to take an impression of a patient’s mouth, only the traditional progressive-hardening paste was available.
Unfortunately, there are still cases in which it cannot be avoided. However, when possible, we have another option that allows us to achieve a similar result in a less invasive way.
Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment that uses light and a small intraoral camera, we can quickly capture a digital scan of the mouth.
With the optical impression, in just a few minutes we obtain an exact replica of the inside of the oral cavity, which can be viewed in color on a computer monitor in 3D. This allows us to speed up the workflow dramatically: once processed, the file is sent almost instantly to the laboratory, complete with precise instructions, as if the dental technician were working directly within our clinic.
The optical impression avoids all the discomfort associated with traditional impression pastes and offers the major advantages of digital technology. Foremost among these is the ability to neatly archive materials, keeping each patient’s diagnostic imaging in a single, easily accessible digital file.
While we await the day when traditional impressions can be completely replaced, we are increasingly reducing the use of impression paste in favor of optical impressions.