The LAVA Chairside Oral Scanner changes the way we take impressions!
For those of you who went through the process of wearing braces when you were growing up, you may remember one of the most traumatic moments (apart from an errant rubber band flying out of your mouth while talking to someone) was having impressions taken of your teeth.
Traditional Dental Impressions
There is nothing like the sight of one of those metal (or plastic) horse shoe looking trays filled with dental impression ‘gunge’ (aka composite) coming at your open mouth to bring out a strong gag reflex.
Until more recent developments in dental technology, this has also been the way we have captured information for other restorations as well. For example, impressions are taken to to build crowns (also called “caps”), bridges, and implants.
Imagine a whole generation of adults who thought they had seen the last of those medieval looking trays once they had graduated out of adolescent ortho, only to be faced with them again in their forties after they’ve been told they needed a crown.
Digital Dental Impressions
Fortunately, the era of Digital Dental Impressions is upon us with a nifty piece of technology called the Lava Chairside Oral Scanner (C.O.S.).
The C.O.S. provides us with an interactive, 3D experience by using a wand that has a digital camera at the tip, which is connected to a computer monitor. After a tooth is prepped, here’s what happens:
- We dust a fine powder over the area, which serves to highlight only the parts we need to capture.
- The wand is then maneuvered around your mouth, documenting the precise placement and location of all adjacent and opposing teeth. This information is transmitted to the computer display where we can confidently review your dental impression work in spectacular detail.
- Your digital impression is then sent electronically to our team of highly skilled dental technicians where they are able to fabricate a precise restoration that will last for years to come.
The Lava C.O.S. (Chairside Oral Scanner) has changed the way we are able to practice dentistry. Our patients love the benefit of having a gag-free appointment, and as providers it appeals to our need for accuracy (ok, and maybe we also love the tech geeky part).
Imagine turning an uncomfortable procedure like impressions into a remarkable‚ interactive‚ 3D experience during your dental appointment and being able to confidently review your dental impression work in spectacular detail with Dr. Drews or Dr. Lake.
Come see it for yourself!
If you have any questions about the Lava C.O.S., just give us a call at (207) 782-5308 or contact us online and we’ll do our best to answer your questions.
