Digital impression taking, a new dawn in dentistry

People with crowns and/or bridges probably remember the first (very uncomfortable) step of the process: taking an impression. Now it’s time to let these awful memories go. Welcome to the future, where this process is faster and smoother than we could ever imagine.

Digital dentistry itself is not a new idea. Computer assisted manufacturing of restorations has been around for quite a few years now, even for dental implants. But no matter the nature of the work, digital scans could only be used for the most straightforward cases. This has all changed recently, and dentistry took a huge step into the future.

“We at Vital Europe have been working towards this new technology in the last two years.

We applied the necessary changes at our dental lab, and waited patiently for an oral scanner to appear on the market. It had to be precise and quick enough to use reliably in even the most complicated cases. After a long process of testing and studying different models, in the beginning of 2019 we found one that met our expectations.” says Gabor Szakonyi, managing director of VitalEurope. He mentions how important digitization is in dentistry, as it allows us to create more precise restorations.

 Every small difference has significant importance, especially when it comes to teeth restorations. “Take impressions for an instance. The orthodox method is to bite on a metal spoon which is filled with impression taking material. Then wait for a set amount of time for this material to solidify. Once it’s ready, we remove it from the mouth – a feeling similar to getting all our teeth extracted. At once. With the digital scanner, this whole process is done within a few minutes. It also gives a full and reliable picture to the dentist to work with. No nauseous waiting or correction included. It only takes a few minutes for the dentist to scan the entire mouth with the hand piece. And then we have the whole picture on our screens. 

Being precise is one of the biggest bonuses when it comes to digital scanning. Being fast is another.

This means not only the process of scanning the impression got faster, but the entire treatment.

“A whole new world for the people working in dentistry as well. In the past, they were preparing teeth and calculating corrections. Now they are sitting in front of their computers, using different programs to design restorations. They are happy about these changes, as it means they can minimize the chances of making mistakes. Their work became a lot more predictable and easier to plan.”

Digital impression taking is an innovation, which benefits both patients and dentists. It is also much more Eco-friendly than the past method, as no physical material is needed for the process. Despite being a step towards the future of dentistry, not many clinics are using these wonderful tools. Although we fully understand that most people prefer not to think about dental treatments at all. “Getting used to new technologies, and spreading the word would require the entire dental industry to look into the future. Without a doubt, digitization has reached dentistry. We are doing our best to keep up with these innovations. Our open-minded approach means that we can carry out entire procedures and restorations digitally.”