Why Are Digital Impressions Replacing Traditional Methods in Modern Dentistry?

Dental workflows are being transformed with remarkable improvements in accuracy, efficiency, comfort, and simplicity. Among these innovations, full arch dental photogrammetry stands out as a game-changer.

In this blog, we examine how digital impressions vs. traditional impressions have changed the patient experience and clinical outcome in modern dentistry.

1. Digital Impressions vs. Traditional Impressions: What’s the Difference?

Traditional Impressions

Traditional impressions use trays filled with materials such as alginate or polyvinyl siloxane that physically take a mould of the patient's teeth. This process has the potential to be uncomfortable for the patient, as well as being prone to error because the tray could fit incorrectly, the material can distort, and there is setting time. The entire process requires disinfection, shipping, and concerns over storage.

Digital Impressions

Digital impressions use intraoral scanners, which allow the dental professional to capture detailed 3D images of the oral cavity quickly and without pain. Digital tooth impressions replace messy materials, sticky trays, and long wait times for lab deliveries. Digital impressions can be reviewed instantly, and they can be sent electronically to labs.

Quick Comparison: Digital Impressions vs. Traditional Impressions

2. Traditional to Digital Impressions: Why It’s Time to Switch?

• Accuracy & Reliability

Digital scans provide an accurate and detailed model, allowing for more reliable deliveries and fewer remakes and poorly fitting restorations. 

• Comfort

Your patients won't have to deal with bulky trays or messy impression materials - digital impressions improve patient comfort and decrease the gag reflex. 

• Efficiencies & Workflow

Capturing the scan and sharing it is faster than waiting for the materials to set up and packing and shipping physical models to the lab. You can have a more streamlined, proactive workflow. 

• Lab Communication

It is simple to share digital files with your lab. This helps with collaboration and streamlining the process of getting your patients' restorations done. 

• Environmental and Cost Benefits

Digital work can significantly reduce disposable materials, shipping, storage, and sterilisation. This is beneficial for the environment and can also lower your overhead.

3. Limitations & Balanced View

Acquisition & Training 

To move to a digital system requires investing in equipment and making the proper training available to all staff.

Complex Full-Arch Cases

When faced with completely edentulous arches or long-span restorations, digital scans can be less accurate than traditional impressions in complex full-arch or edentulous cases. There are professionals who advocate for a case-by-case exploration. 

There are also practices that have incorporated digital captures and traditional captures in order to take advantage of both types of mechanisms while considering the patient's clinical needs.

4. Why It Matters for You (and the Patients)?

• Provides patients with a comfortable, more efficient process, which results in ultimately higher patient satisfaction

• Provides more accuracy and better fit of crowns, bridges, dentures, and orthodontic appliances

• Provides a more seamless clinical process from chairside capture to lab delivery

• Provides good evidence of the practice's innovation and commitment to patient care and experience.

Conclusion

Digital impressions are quickly replacing traditional impressions as they provide accuracy, comfort, speed, and eco-efficiency, and they allow for more efficiency in modern dentistry. 

Digital Arches supports these innovations to simplify workflows and patient care more efficiently. Are you ready to evolve your workflow? Return to Digital Arches, and let's shape the future with ease!