Have you ever had a goopy, messy dental impression? Traditionally, dental impressions were taken using putty like materials to make molds of your teeth and gums. These types of impressions were all dentists had until digital scanning technology came about! Traditional dental impressions are still used in many dental offices, but they can annoy patients due to gagging, discomfort and messes on your face and clothes from the impression material.
A digital scan of your teeth is the alternative to dental impressions. Digital scans may be more comfortable to the patient and in many cases, they are more accurate. Dr. Bracy offers 3M digital scanning technology in his NYC dental office.
A digital scan of your teeth is one of the first steps in the Invisalign treatment planning process. You may have heard the term “invisalign scan” or some competitor clear aligner companies, call them “smile scans”. The scan is done by a camera on a wand that is guided over your teeth and gums and the information is sent directly to Invisalign for the treatment planning process.
Your teeth scan can be used for many different applications besides Invisalign. Dr. Bracy uses digital scans of your teeth for many different applications including night guards, whitening trays, crowns, and implants.
Is there a cost for an Invisalign scan? Dr. Bracy offers the scans complimentary, as it is a great learning experience for the patient to see the opportunities they can have with their teeth! Other dental offices may charge for this procedure.
