iTero Scanner at Goehring Dental in Austin, TX

Impressions Made EASY with the iTero Scanner

In previous years, when patients were going to the dentist to get impressions of their teeth for crowns, braces or removable, impressions were extremely tedious. To create impressions — before, technologies like the iTero scanner came into the dental world— the dentist filled a bite tray with gooey, messy impression material that, once hardened, created a reverse impression of teeth and soft tissues. The impression process takes days because once the dentist had the impression, they would send it to a dental lab to have a mold created to manufacture the intended dental device.

Dental impressions are necessary before patients undergo a restorative procedure, such as braces, retainers, crowns, a bridge, and Invisalign clear teeth-straightening aligners. Before dentists began using laser technology, like the iTero Scanner, molds could do the job. But they were not an exact replica of patients’ teeth and gums.

The iTero digital scanning system does create a perfectly accurate impression of the bone and soft tissues in the mouth. That means patients don’t have to have as many fittings, it means that devices, aligners, and crowns are more likely to fit correctly from the start.

Why Choose iTero?

Here are some of the main reasons why dentists choose the iTero digital scanner.

It’s not messy. There are no liquid compounds to mix.

There’s less discomfort. Sure, the dentist still needs to scan teeth with a wand inside the mouth, but there are no large dental pans to fill with a hardening and unforgiving liquid compound that must be placed perfectly around the teeth and gums. Dentists reported that patients often complain that the tools needed to create traditional impressions would cause them to gag, either from the liquid seeping out of the dental pan, or the dental pan going so far back into the mouth that it was uncomfortably close to the patient’s throat.

The technology is accurate and flexible. The iTero digital scanner creates a near-perfect 3D impression of patients’ teeth and gums. And the dentist can view the scanned model from many different directions and even get close-up views of the teeth.

The iTero scanner saves patients’ records. So it’s easy for the dentist to get instant updates. There are no paper files or records to keep track of. Impressions of the teeth have several applications. Dentists use them to design a patient’s Invisalign clear aligners. Most patients need anywhere from 20 to 30 or more aligner trays. Impressions are used for veneers, crowns, and dental implants. Some dentists use the iTero scanner during ordinary exams for the purpose of visualizing cavities and other types of oral damage or disease.

Patients can see their progress. Straightening crooked teeth can be an incredibly slow process. But when a patient can see their impressions on a screen, they can actually track their own progress, which helps convince patients to stick with procedures and not quit halfway through. And it’s easier to show patients why they should have work done sooner rather than delay it— possibly worsening the problem.