Progress in digital dentistry: The practical use of intraoral scanners

Abstract

An optical-impression by an intraoral scanner (IOS) involves optically measuring the surface shape of the target teeth or gums directly in the patient’s mouth. IOSs have many advantages, such as reduce patients pain and discomfort, the operator’s burden and the risk on infection, real-time impression scanning and visualization, simple replication and selective scanning, reduction of cost and waste of materials and detection of dental caries and crack . IOSs have become one of the most valuable dental-treatment devices for patients, dentists, dental technicians, and dental hygienists. The IOS accuracy matches or supersedes the accuracy of the conventional-impression and indirect method with working models. IOS is clinically applicable in restoration up to four units. IOS’s high reproducibility, information-processing ability, multimedia capability, and simplicity and speed in communication can apply to group examination and identification of disaster victims or dementia patients.