Many people don’t like going to the dentist because of impressions. Digital dental impressions take the discomfort out of impressions. Our dentist in Chicago, IL, explains more below.
Impressions are essentially a mold of the teeth, gums, and mouth tissues. Traditionally, impressions are taken by biting down on a tray filled with putty, which hardens and leaves an imprint of your bite. The putty can cause discomfort and gagging, and the tray can be painful for those with small mouths or misaligned bites. Digital impressions are a great alternative to this and can make getting impressions a more pleasant experience.
A mold of your teeth may be taken for several reasons:
Crowns. An impression will always be taken when placing a crown. The imprint is needed to show where the crown needs to fit and also determines the shape that the lab needs to custom make. This ensures that you have the perfect bite with your new crown.
Invisalign or orthodontic treatment. An impression is taken to create your Invisalign trays and may also be taken before braces to check how your bite is misaligned.
Dentures and bridges. When fitting patients for dentures and bridges, an impression will be taken to aid in fabricating the devices.
Digital impressions allow our dentist to skip the tray and putty, instead using a wand-like tool with a small camera on the end to take photos of your teeth. Using a special program, a virtual model of your mouth is created with these photos instead of a physical mold. The impression process is integral to performing most dental treatments, and digital impressions can help make the process better for everyone involved.
The information provided in this article is not meant to be medical advice and is for educational purposes only. If you would like to learn more about this and other topics related to dentistry, feel free to contact Dente Complete Dentistry, with a convenient dental office in Chicago, IL, by calling 773.295.0562 or by clicking here.