Dentaltown February 2016 - (Page 64)

radiology feature INTRAORAL SCANNING A Great Resource in Today's Dentistry by Moritz Zimmermann, DDS Dr. Moritz Zimmermann currently works as an associate professor at the Department of Computerized Restorative Dentistry at Zurich University Dental School in Switzerland-the place where CEREC was invented 30 years ago by professor Werner Mörmann. Zimmermann specializes in CAD/CAM dentistry and loves to share his knowledge in international training courses and lectures for both undergraduate and postgraduate colleagues. In 2015, he was the visiting assistant professor at the University of Michigan Dental School. Currently, Zimmermann runs a blog, zDigitalDentistry.com that informs dentists all over the world about the great potential of digital dentistry. Currently, dentistry has two opposing trends: going digital or staying conventional. What is your preference? More importantly, how did you make that decision? Are you fully aware of the advantages of intraoral scanning? Since my fi rst steps within the dental world, digital dentistry has been my great passion. And I am increasingly fascinated by this technology and its possibilities for dentists. Going digital starts with implementing intraoral scanning systems. From there, several different digital procedures can create a fully digital workflow. I believe a fully digital workflow ensures the best treatment option for our patients and, fortunately, is also the most economical. Beneﬁts Compared to taking conventional impressions, intraoral scanning offers several advantages. Instead of fabricating a plaster model, an intraoral scanning system provides a digital data set that is the basis for further treatment. Working with this digital data set will help you perform better dentistry. Here are some benefits. What you see is what you get. Most of you probably have had this experience: You made a lot of effort to take a really perfect conventional impression, you placed the cords perfectly and you ensured perfect bleeding control. Your impression even looks nice, at 64 FEBRUARY 2016 // dentaltown.com first view. However, a day later you receive a phone call from your lab technician, who says, "Sorry doc, the plaster model shows a gap directly around the preparation margin. You'll have to do it again!" Taking intraoral scans will help you to avoid those annoying calls. By using intraoral scanning systems, what you see really is what you get. You can perform quality analysis directly out of the digital model on the computer. You can even digitally check the proper reduction of tooth substance. That is a huge advantage, isn't it? Save more time by being efficient. Let's go back to the situation in which your conventional impression is not perfect and you have to redo it. Taking the setting and mixing times into account, this could take up to 10 minutes: a lot of time in everyday practice. Now think about how much time it would take with an intraoral scanner. Maybe two to three seconds. You don't even need to re-scan the full jaw-you can limit your scan only to the affected area. That will definitely save you a lot of time in everyday practice. When using intraoral scanning systems, you will no longer need to disinfect and clean your dental impressions and impression trays-a very time-consuming step. Moreover, do you always choose the best-fitting impression tray for your patient? By using intraoral scanning systems, you will no longer have to deal with fi nding some sort of workaround. Continued on p. 66 http://www.zDigitalDentistry.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown February 2016

On Dentaltown.com
HOWARD SPEAKS: There Ain’t No Silver Bullet in Business
PROFESSIONAL COURTESY: A Magical Meeting Experience
Continuing Education Update
Reverse Prep
An Overview of Sinus Augmentation Procedures
Figuring Out This Marketing Thing
OFFICE VISIT: Doing Dentistry in the Desert
Make Work-Life Balance Work for You
Pulpotomy Materials: An Update
Diligence: How to Successfully Purchase a Dental Practice
Parents Who Fool Themselves About Sugar in Kids’ Diets
Seven Easy Ways to Boost Treatment Compliance
You Should Know: ZendyHealth
Product Profile: DENTSPLY Caulk
Poll
Intraoral Scanning: A Great Resource in Today’s Dentistry
Must Haves for 2016
Product Profile: GC America
Simplifying Everyday Direct Posterior Restorations
Augmentation of Keratinized Gingiva
Industry News
Ad Index
Product Profile: United Business Funding
New Products
Product Profile: TCS
Top Three Strategies to Triple New Patient Numbers
Oral Diseases Associated with Women
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown February 2016