If you’ve ever had a physical impression taken at the dentist, then you know it’s not exactly a pleasant experience. You bite into a mold filled with odd-tasting dental putty and have to sit with it for up to five minutes, and often, you have to redo it because something went wrong!
Thankfully, digital impressions are becoming increasingly common, and they’re much faster and more comfortable. Not only is the experience in the chair less messy and stressful, but they also ensure your new dental crown, bridge, or veneer will fit perfectly and look completely natural.
More is More
To take a digital impression, your dentist in Oklahoma City scans your mouth with a small device, and it captures thousands of data points to generate a detailed model of your teeth on a nearby monitor. Needless to say, this level of precision and accuracy is well beyond what is possible with physical impressions, giving your dentist and their lab all the information they need to design higher-quality restorations when it comes to aesthetics, durability, and function.
It’s All Coming Together
While many patients receive a crown, bridge, or veneer to fix a problem that affects a single tooth, it’s important to remember that each of your teeth makes up your overall bite. They have to fit together quite neatly, so it’s important that a restoration not only suits the tooth, but the entire mouth.
The ability to generate an accurate model of a tooth as well as the bite at the same time is quite tricky with physical impressions, but it’s fairly easy with the digital approach. Receiving a “bite-friendly” restoration will ensure it lasts longer because it won’t be prematurely worn down by unconscious grinding.
Think Positive
With a physical impression, it leaves a negative imprint of your bite–the putty shows the space where your teeth were, which then serves as a mold to make the actual model. This is a lot of extra steps compared to digital impressions, which take time, and can allow errors to occur. Scanning the teeth is a simpler process that only requires a few minutes, leading to a shorter appointment while ensuring the result is extremely exact.
This just scratches the surface of the many benefits offered by digital impressions—they also reduce the turnaround time for treatments, plus they provide a great visual aid your dentist can use to explain your oral health. And for restorations, nothing is better when it comes to guaranteeing a renewed tooth that will look natural and can be trusted to stand the test of time.
About the Author
Dr. Michael Kirk has been taking care of Oklahoma City smiles for more than 30 years as a trusted family and restorative dentist. Since graduating from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, he has continued to invest in the latest technology so that his care is consistently more efficient, personalized, and comfortable. That’s why digital imaging, including impressions, is an important cornerstone of his practice.
If you have one or more teeth that could use some attention, contact Grand Dental Studio today to start getting what you need as comfortably and quickly as possible.