The intraoral scanning technology has received a lot of response recently, and it is expected to see more adoption in the days to come. And this is one of the technologies that is behind the transformation of dentistry and pushing it into a completely digital era. A top-model intraoral scanner today comes with many features and offers a wide range of benefits. Its benefits are not limited to how it has simplified the daily work of dentists and dental technicians, but also how it has helped patients enjoy the treatment. Now, while all these are true, some dentists are not able to achieve such great results. It is not because their scanners are not capable, but because using an intraoral scanner is technique-sensitive and needs proper practice to avoid mistakes that decrease the quality of the outcome. If you are a dentist who has recently purchased an intraoral scanner and wants to know how to get the most out of intraoral scanners, then we have got your back. In this blog, we have shared some important tips about the same.
Top Tips to Use an Intraoral Scanner to Get the Best Outcome
Learn how to use the intraoral scanner you have recently purchased to get the best results out of it.
Start slow and be patient
As a first-time user of a scanner, it is important to acknowledge that before you become an expert user, there is a little learning curve. So, after investing in the intraoral scanner, you should give it time and become familiar with the software on which it runs. You should not integrate the device with your work all at once, but take one step at a time, become confident that you know how to use it well in one area, and then move to the next step. Read the instructions for any queries, or call the support team with any questions. You must remain patient, learn the process, and then implement it.
Learn scan strategy
The strategy you choose to scan is extremely important. In fact, studies have highlighted how full-arch impressions get affected by the scanning strategy used. Thus, it is important to follow the scanning strategies that have been shared by the manufacturers, and they have also given better results statistically. So, for Panda P2 intraoral scanners, the best scan path would be the one the manufacturer recommends. And, generally, experts recommend following a lingual-occlusal-oral scan strategy.
Make sure the treatment area is dry
While using an intraoral scanner, you should keep in mind one thing: you should keep the buccal cavity of the patient dry. Moisture due to saliva, blood, and other fluids can form a reflection and alter the image. And you would never want a distorted impression after all the investment and effort you have put into obtaining an intraoral scanner, right? Therefore, to obtain a clean and accurate scan, you can clean and dry the patient’s mouth before you start the scanning process. Besides, you should also pay a good amount of attention to the edentulous regions, because it can be challenging to capture these areas but important for the overall impression outcome.
Scan before prepping
You should not forget another important point, and that is to scan the teeth of the patients before prepping. This is because the lab where the restoration will be created may work with the scanned images that were obtained before prepping, which would help to achieve perfection and create a natural-looking dental restoration.
Check the quality of the scan
After scanning the teeth of the patients, you must check the scan before you send the report to the laboratory. Checking the quality of the impression is important because you can spot any inaccuracies such as missing data, distortion, or incorrect occlusion and can save your lab technician’s time.
Conclusion
These are some of the ways you can follow them to get the most out of the intraoral scanner that you have recently purchased. Also, you can avoid committing some of the top mistakes that many dentists commit, such as not maintaining the device well, which can reduce the effectiveness of the scanner, and you should not stop training and practising with the tool, as the more you practice, the better you will get at using the device.
