Scanning with an intraoral scanner has its challenges for the first few scans. Understanding its limitations and how to maximize the time you spend scanning to come up with the best result is important.
Here are the Top 8 tips and tricks.
1 – Scan in an extremely dry field. The scanner gathers data extremely easily if the teeth are very dry.
2 – Toggle between color and no color to see the margin lines on a prep. As seen in this photo:
3 – Retraction of the tissue around a prep is very important. Use two cords a 0 and 1. When you are about the scan, dry the tooth, remove the 1 and leave the 0 in the sulcus. Scan the area, open tools on the lower right side of the screen and use the lock feature. Lock the tissue that you have scanned so if you need to adjust the occlusal, you will not scan over the retracted tissue again.
4 – To visualize your prep in its best format, proceed to the analyse page, open tools and post process the scan. This will allow you to visualize the prep in the format that the lab will see. You can still return to the previous scan screen if modification of the prep is needed.
5 – Trios IOS has a scan path that must be adhered to. This allows for the least amount of cross arch deviation. To gather data on reflective materials such as gold restorations, dry the gold very well. This will allow for the best scan. If required a very thin layer of toothpaste can help.
6 – To gather long span edentulous areas, use a dye stick to mark dots on the top of the tissue and dry.
7 – The trios can scan an open bite. Scan the upper and lower arches, place a stop in the anterior teeth and scan the buccal bite. The teeth may occlude automatically, however, if they do not, mark the arches and occlude manually.
8 – To gather the D of the most posterior tooth such as a 7 or 8, dry very well and scan coming across the arch positioning the scanner as if using it like a mouth mirror to see the back of the tooth. Also hold the scanner on the B and tilt pushing the cheek outward.
I hope these tips and tricks have proven helpful.
As a Schell client, scanner training, support and advice is always available. Please contact the lab with questions.
If you are not a client, please feel free to share with your team. Also, stay tuned to our website Events page for a schedule of upcoming training seminars and Study Club events.