Dentaltown July 2019 - 83

010

for them. This is especially nice when working on difficult or large
cases. These services are fast and quite inexpensive.
Additionally, consider using digital bite analysis to take the
guesswork out of the occlusion and reduce chair time. The biggest
factor that was missing in my workflow before was the timing of
the contacts. Paper only shows that the surfaces touched, but the
T-Scan shows me when they touch, how hard and for how long.
Interferences are easily detected and eliminated.
Perhaps a doctor is looking to dive even deeper into the digital
depths and expand what services they can offer patients, say with
virtual implant planning. A CBCT system is a must, especially a
system with imaging software that's simple yet robust and allows
doctors to complete every phase of treatment without the need to
export into other software.
I use the Carestream Dental CS 9300, along with a prosthetic-driven implant planning module that merges the data from the
intraoral scanner and the CBCT scan. This allows me to finalize
the ideal placement, consider the perfect restoration and work
backward from there.
In addition to their benefit to diagnosis and to treatment-plan,
these merged 3D and impressions scans are ideal for patient
communication. I can show a patient their case with an implant
mocked up, which is especially important when there is too little
bone available. (It's easy to make a case for bone grafting when
the implant is protruding into the sinus cavity.) With the virtual
implant planned, a digital surgical guide can be ordered from a lab
or printed on-site, depending on the doctor's desire.
Finally, for the "early adopter" seeking a fully in-house digital
workflow, consider adding a milling machine or 3D printer. The
printing option is still early in adoption but will drastically change
dentistry in the coming years. Procedures like clear aligner therapy,
surgical guides, provisional dentures and crowns, splints, etc., all
011 at reduced cost to the practice and reduced case
can be printed
000
and chair time. 10
In the next few years, we will see more and more use of digital
printers in the dental workflow. They are inexpensive, accurate and
fast. This addition will make dentistry more affordable for both
the patient and the dental provider.
Doctors who combine intraoral scanning, CBCT, virtual
implant planning, and in-house milling and surgical guide printing
may fi nd themselves completing more cases than before, with
increased confidence of what structures there are and how they
will be managed in advance.
Dentists can provide a better patient experience and better
clinical outcomes with digital technology. The speed, accuracy
and convenience are not only a boon to doctors but to patients as
well. Whether starting with the basics, like introducing an intraoral
scanner to your workflow, or fully embracing the future of digital
dentistry with a 3D printer, now is the time to grow your practice
with an advanced digital technology. ■

010

011

dentaltown.com \\ JULY 2019

00
83

http://www.dentaltown.com

Dentaltown July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown July 2019