It goes without saying that dentistry is far more advanced today than it was twenty years back. Earlier patients hated the idea of visiting a dental clinic because it was messy, time-consuming, and quite uncomfortable. Over time, the advancement in technology has not only improved dental procedures but made it easier and more satisfying for patients. A particular technology that is highly sought after in modern dentistry is the intraoral scanner. In contemporary times, digital dentistry is reinforced by the use of dental scanners.
From the time of its inception, the technology of digital dental scanners has evolved to a great degree. Simultaneously, it contributed heavily to modernizing the impression method. Besides, its rise to fame is grounded in the positive feedback shared by dentists from across the world. The reason why this new technology has been appreciated by the dental fraternity is that the earlier process had more flaws than benefits. Some of the flaws are given below.
· A time-consuming process
Earlier taking a correct impression was a time taking process. In those times, dentists had to go through several complex steps to get the correct measurements of contours of the teeth before sending them to the laboratory.
· Uncomfortable procedure
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the earlier method was primitive compared to the present process of taking an impression. Many times patients would be left with a bad aftertaste in the mouth. It was messy which made patients uncomfortable. No wonder, patients disliked the idea of visiting a dental clinic.
· Inaccurate results
Another disadvantage of the earlier technique was that it produced inaccurate results. Hence, patients had to visit the clinic more than once to recapture the dental contours to develop molding.
The benefits of Intraoral scannersfor patients and dentists
· Great time saver technology
One of the biggest benefits of digital dental scanners is they save you a lot of time. Compared to conventional technology, the current one has IOS, which is much faster and saves a lot of time. With the inception of the intraoral scanner, patients don’t have to sit in a chair for hours to receive the treatment.
Also, with the advent of this technology, dentists can treat many patients in a short time and increase revenue.
· Accurate
The accuracy of the scanner and the time-saving aspects of this scanner is more than enough reason to use it in various dental treatment procedures. It generates accurate data in terms of capturing the precise impression of the contours of the teeth. Hence, enabling the dentist to offer the right treatment to the patients.
Also, if the dentist is not happy with the result, they can delete it and capture the impression again without having to repeat the entire procedure. Thus, saving a lot of time for both the patient and doctor.
· Safety
A great advantage of the intraoral scanner is it doesn’t emit any harmful radiation while being used during treatment.
· Comfort
Comfort is one of the biggest perks of using a dental scanner, something that is essential for the patients and doctors when conducting a dental procedure. Needless to say that traditional techniques are outdated and messy. They required patients to sit with a big rubber-like substance in their mouths for several minutes. It caused patients a lot of discomfort and often led to gagging and choking.
Conclusion
The intraoral scanner is being widely used by dentists worldwide because of its various advantages. Apart from the technical benefits, it also ensures easy communication with the patients when performing a dental procedure. Additionally, advanced technologies like this make patients feel more at ease as it offers a sense of getting the best treatment for their dental problems. As a result, they may end up referring the procedure to their friends and acquaintances.
