During a scan you may notice your teeth forming on a screen, with a few blank patches. For anyone coming from Georgetown, here is what that model is, why some areas are recorded twice and how it feeds into a crown or appliance.
Partway through, you might glance at the monitor and see a coloured, three-dimensional version of your teeth taking shape, with a few holes still to be filled. That image is the impression. An optical scanner captures hundreds of views of the teeth and nearby tissue and stitches them into a surface model, which is then used to plan or make a restoration or appliance.
What you are watching is data collection rather than treatment. In suitable cases this approach can stand in for a tray of impression material. Whether it applies to you depends on the area being recorded, the work proposed and how fine the detail must be. A scan that looks complete on screen may still need extra passes, and finished work may still need adjusting.
Before the appointment, ask how your impression will be taken and what arrangements are available. If gagging, a tight jaw or an earlier uncomfortable impression is a concern, mention it. Our team can explain the steps and talk about suitability, rather than assuming one method suits every mouth.
A scan should be recording something specific. Ask which teeth and surfaces are needed and how the finished model will be used to design or make your work.
For a crown or other suitable restoration, the prepared tooth, its neighbours and the bite may all need detail. Some appliances need a whole arch. The dentist will explain what your case requires, so the scan is taken with a clear purpose.
If the bulk or taste of impression material has been a problem, describe it. Scanning may be worth considering when it suits the work, but the tip still travels around the teeth and some people still find it uncomfortable.
Drifting teeth, a newer filling or a shift in the plan can all leave an earlier model out of step with your mouth. Tell the team. A previous model is reused only if it still shows what the current treatment depends on.
The coloured model on screen shows outer surfaces only. It is not an X-ray or CBCT image, and it cannot replace imaging needed to examine roots, bone or what lies beneath the visible tooth.
Because the model builds in real time, missing or blurry areas tend to show up as blank or distorted patches. The team can go back over those spots before the record is accepted and passed on to the clinical and laboratory steps. That is the real advantage: a record checked for usability while you are still in the chair.
Some people also find a scan easier than holding a full tray in place, while others notice little difference. How long it takes depends on how much has to be captured and how readily each area records. Agree beforehand on a signal for breaks, how far you can open and how you would like to sit.
Patient information: UCLH — digital impressions in dental care
Where the system allows, the team can explain what the model shows and why teeth beside the one being treated, or on the opposite jaw, are included. It is a planning picture and does not diagnose anything on its own.
Once approved, the model can travel digitally to whoever designs and produces your piece, through the proper professional channels. It is fair to ask who that is. Sending the file does not, on its own, decide when your work will be ready.
The record must include every detail the planned piece depends on. Rescanning a patch, or switching to another method, is an ordinary part of getting there and not a sign that something went wrong.
Each visit depends on the treatment it supports. Some appointments are purely for capturing the model; others also include shaping a tooth or fitting a temporary, so check which applies to you.
The dentist describes which teeth the model must show, what it will be used for and whether a scan is the right tool in your case. Ask about limits, alternatives and any fees, and mention gagging or difficulty opening before starting.
Moisture and soft tissue can block the scanner’s view, so the teeth may be dried and the gum around a tooth gently managed, depending on the procedure. A tooth shaped for a crown needs its edges clearly visible.
The wand moves slowly over each relevant tooth while the image grows. The team watches for blank patches and returns to them, then may record the opposite teeth and how your bite closes. Signal whenever you need a pause.
Once the record looks complete, the team checks it against what the work requires. If an area still falls short, another method may be used. Leave knowing your next appointment, any temporary care steps and when fitting will happen.
A scan alone does not usually need any recovery. If freezing, tooth shaping or a temporary was part of the same visit, those may come with their own instructions.
Follow the dentist’s advice on eating and cleaning around any temporary restoration. If it loosens, breaks or hurts, call the clinic. The permanent crown being on screen somewhere does not mean a cracked stand-in can be left as it is.
A chipped tooth, a filling replaced elsewhere or a bite that changes after the scan may mean the record no longer matches. Let us know. Any new ache or puffiness is worth having checked, not filed under waiting.
When the finished piece arrives, it still has to be tried in and checked. Bring up how it fits, how your bite feels and how to keep it clean, and expect small adjustments if needed. A digital process does not skip this step.
Curiosity about the screen is welcome. Raise anything about the planned work, the recording method or the steps after the model is finished, and expect answers that tie what you see to a real clinical purpose.
Give our Bronte Street practice a call with the crown, bridge or appliance you have in mind and anything you are curious about on the scanning side. The team will describe which records are likely, how long they tend to take and what arrangements are possible. Comfort and scheduling questions are fine to raise as well.
Scanning suitability and availability depend on your treatment. Illustrations of scanners on this page do not show clinic equipment.
