A more comfortable orthodontic experience
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 18th December 2022
People of all ages[1] may undergo orthodontic treatment, and it is important to ensure patients have a positive, comfortable experience wherever possible. To achieve great results in orthodontics, taking an accurate impression is essential. This will allow you to plan treatment accurately and will play an important role in the overall success of the procedure.[2]
Prioritising patient comfort
The taking of the impression needed for the fabrication of orthodontic devices can be difficult for many patients who report difficulty breathing, queasiness, and TMJ discomfort.[3] This affects patients of all ages, but can be particularly challenging for children as, for some, the process can be so distressing that it may cause them not to continue with orthodontic therapy.i Typically, children are less co-operative than adult patients – this can make impression taking particularly challenging when using conventional methods.i
When providing patients with orthodontic treatment, you will need a high-quality impression. Doing what you can to make sure their experience is as positive as possible will pay off in the long run, and probably make your job easier. Discomfort during the impression taking process may cause patients to move, resulting in a distorted and inaccurate impression – unsuitable for use in treatment.
Patient experience with traditional impression material
To create high-quality conventional impressions, there are a number of steps. Firstly, tray selection, then choosing the right alginate, mixing the material, tray insertion and position in the mouth, handling the impression prior to pouring the model, and finally selecting and mixing the gypsum product.[4] Impressions can be used for many things including diagnostics, creating models for crowns and bridges, or bleaching trays. In all instances, including when creating impressions for orthodontics, there should be a focus on accuracy and ensuring you capture all the information needed – they need to be very high quality. However, there are a number of steps which require perfect execution – if any distortion goes unnoticed at any stage, the resulting impression could be unsuccessful and inaccurate.iv
These impressions can be uncomfortable and anxiety inducing for the patient because they require the clinician to place the substance in the mouth covering all the teeth. Because of the intrusive nature of the process, the material can cause a gag reflex and feeling of suffocation. Along with this, the anatomy of the oral cavity, including the tongue, can cause difficulties when trying to achieve an accurate impression.i
Benefits of intraoral scanners in orthodontics
Many patients will appreciate the possibility of a digital alternative to conventional impressions. It is also worth considering that, if digital impressions are taken, the production of orthodontic devices can be completed with reduced costs and time when compared to conventional methods.i Research suggests that digital impressions are more comfortable for patients when compared to conventional methods.[5] Digital impressions offer a wide range of advantages in practice. They are simple to use, reduce patient discomfort, simplify procedures, and can be used to create 3D models without the need for stone casts. This simplifies the entire process and saves space in the practice.[6]
Digital impression taking is a more interactive experience for patients too. Once you’ve taken the scans, you’ll be able to view them using digital software, and use the software to predict potential treatment results. This software can be very useful for a number of reasons, including increased patient compliance and satisfaction because their expectations are managed from the start.[7]
When you choose to utilise any of the range of intraoral scanners available from Straumann Group, you open your practice up to a variety of possibilities. The 3Shape TRIOS®, Medit i700 and Virtuo Vivo™ intraoral scanners offer a solution for your digital impression taking depending on your previous experience with digital workflows and current requirements of the technology. All are easy to use, with a focus on speed and both patient and user comfort. Clinicians can see the scan developing in real time, giving you the confidence to know you’re collecting the data needed. Plus, the range of intraoral scanners from Straumann Group can be seamlessly integrated with cutting-edge software for an efficient workflow.
Transform your impression taking experience and go digital. Improve your patients’ experiences of impression taking, with the confidence that you’re producing accurate results. Intraoral scanners can revolutionise your workflow, encourage treatment acceptance, and improve patient compliance. They also provide the added tools that come along with digital workflows, allowing an interactive experience for you and your patient to explore treatment options and view potential outcomes together, giving your patient the space to ask questions and visualise their treatment results. Consider making this change to improve your services and make your day-to day practice responsibilities more straightforward.
For more information on intraoral scanners from Straumann, please visit www.straumann.com
[1] Saccomanno, Sabina, et al. “The Potential of Digital Impression in Orthodontics.” Dentistry Journal 10.8 (2022): 147.file:///Users/officeone/Downloads/dentistry-10-00147.pdf
[2] Phudphong, Pitchapa, Pokpong Amornvit, and Nattapong Sirintawat. “Comparison of accuracy of alginate impression and intraoral scanner in model with and without orthodontic brackets.” Applied Sciences 11.13 (2021): 6037. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/6037/htm
[3] Yuzbasioglu, E., Kurt, H., Turunc, R. et al. Comparison of digital and conventional impression techniques: evaluation of patients’ perception, treatment comfort, effectiveness and clinical outcomes. BMC Oral Health 14, 10 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6831-14-10
[4] Presley, Stan, and Jaimée Morgan. “Achieving Accurate Alginate Impressions.” Detail 25 (2013): 50µ.
http://www.orthodontictraining.net/assets/HowTo_AlginateImp.pdf
[5] Christopoulou, Isidora, et al. “Intraoral Scanners in Orthodontics: A Critical Review.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19.3 (2022): 1407. file:///Users/officeone/Downloads/ijerph-19-01407%20(1).pdf
[6] Mangano, Alessandro, et al. “Suppl-1, M8: Conventional Vs Digital Impressions: Acceptability, Treatment Comfort and Stress Among Young Orthodontic Patients.” The open dentistry journal 12 (2018): 118. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5815028/
[7] Coachman, Christian, and Marcelo Calamita. “Digital smile design: a tool for treatment planning and communication in esthetic dentistry.” Quintessence Dent Technol 35 (2012): 103-111. https://digitalsmiledesign.com/files/Old-Website-Assets/Static/Coachman_Calamita_DSD_Eng_12.pdf
