A case report in the Journal of Prosthodontic Research last year detailed how a digital impression was able to capture the necessary anatomy and detail for a digital denture fabrication. “The technology is just not quite there yet.”ĭigital impressions have worked in some denture cases already Manalili says of taking digital impressions for a removable full denture. “Digital denture impressions are definitely in our future,” Dr. She says when performing a static impression, like an intraoral scan, the dynamic changes of the moveable and compressible mucosa are not captured. Currently, border molding movements are utilized to best capture this restorative space, Dr. The fit and comfort of a denture comes down to how well the available space within the oral cavity for the prosthesis is captured. Manalili says for dentists to use digital impressions for full dentures, it is going to come down to whether the scanner can capture the movement of the soft tissue. “Instead of pouring up the cast and then scanning that same cast, you can instead scan the impression itself which eliminates both time and potential error introduced from the stone cast,” Dr. Manalili says there are workflows on the market right now that advocate the use of scannable alginate with stock trays for the initial appointment. However, in many of the digital denture workflows, the impressions are then digitized. When creating any kind of digital denture, most dentists are still taking a conventional preliminary alginate impression at the start. “But I think the fit of the denture itself is where a lot of clinicians and patients struggle,” she says. The impression, she says, “can make or break a denture.” Instead, the focus tends to be on the aesthetics of the teeth and the occlusion. She also says many clinicians do not take the time and effort to get an adequate preliminary impression or even definitive impressions. Intraoral scanners are excellent at scanning hard tissue but not great at scanning soft tissue. Manalili, the downside to taking digital impressions for a full denture is the moveable tissue. Also, the tissue in the vestibule is moveable as well. Many of the denture patients are already edentulous and the soft tissue moves as a result. “Having a successful denture starts with the impression,” says Taylor Manalili, DDS, a prosthodontist at Glidewell Laboratories. However, that high-tech, streamlined, end-to-end digital fabrication starts right after you take a conventional impression, like you have for decades. Digital dentures have been on the market for a couple of years now.
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