Intraoral Scanner

What Is an Intraoral Scanner? (Your Mouth's Personal 3D Camera)

An intraoral scanner is a handheld wand with a tiny camera that takes thousands of pictures per second to create a perfect 3D digital model of your teeth and gums. Think of it as a high-tech magic wand that turns your mouth into a video game character—except this character needs a crown, and the graphics are incredibly accurate.

This technology is what finally killed the dreaded impression goop. Instead of suffering through minutes of gagging on impression material, you get a comfortable wand moving around your mouth while you watch your teeth appear on screen in real-time. It's like Google Street View met dentistry and had a very smart baby.

The Gag-Free Revolution: How It Works

The process of getting a digital impression with an intraoral scanner is simple, fast, and comfortable.

1. The Wand: We use a small, handheld scanner about the size of an electric toothbrush.
2. The "Scanning Dance": We gently move the wand around your teeth. The camera inside captures thousands of images which are instantly stitched together by smart software.

1. Real-Time Model: A perfect 3D model of your teeth appears on the screen as we scan, allowing us to ensure we've captured every detail. The entire process for a single crown scan takes only a couple of minutes.

This technology completely eliminates the need for gag-inducing impression material for the vast majority of cases.

The Major Players in Scanning Technology

Just like with cars or phones, there are several leading brands of scanners, each with unique strengths. Our practice may use systems like:

• iTero®: Famous for its full-color scans and seamless integration with Invisalign®.

• CEREC® Primescan: Renowned for its incredible speed and accuracy, forming the heart of our same-day crown system.

• TRIOS®: Known for its realistic color capture and wireless flexibility.

Our investment in these technologies is an investment in your comfort and the quality of your final restoration.

Why Scanners Changed Everything for Crowns

The benefits go far beyond just avoiding the goop.

• Superior Accuracy: A digital scan is a direct capture of your teeth, free from the physical distortions, bubbles, or tears that can happen with impression material. This means your final crown fits better with fewer adjustments.

• Improved Patient Experience: Being able to see your own teeth in 3D is a powerful educational tool. It helps you understand your oral health and the need for treatment in a way that was never before possible.

• Efficiency and Speed: A digital file can be sent to our dental lab instantly, cutting days off the fabrication time. For same-day crowns, the file goes directly to our in-office milling machine, allowing us to complete your crown in a single visit.

If you've been avoiding dental work because of a fear or phobia of traditional impressions, the intraoral scanner has completely changed the game.

Here's what we want you to remember:

The intraoral scanner has replaced uncomfortable, gag-inducing impression material with a fast, accurate, and comfortable digital scan. It represents one of the biggest quality-of-life improvements in modern dentistry.

Every patient's situation is unique.

We use the latest in digital scanning technology to capture a precise 3D model of your mouth, ensuring that whether you're getting a single crown, a bridge, or a full smile makeover, the foundation of your treatment is as accurate as possible.

Have you been putting off dental work due to impression anxiety?

Curious to see this technology for yourself? We're here to give you honest, personalized answers. Schedule a consultation at our Woodland Hills practice – let's talk about what's really best for your smile.