Optical Impressions

Most patients require impressions at some point during their dental care. This often means using some form of an impression material that has low viscosity, and then polymerizes as it sets in the mouth. Many patients find this procedure one of the most objectionable due to the tendency to gag or to experience a poor taste in their mouth. As an alternative to this approach, new technologies are arising that allow us to take “optical” impressions of a patient at different points of their care. Such optical impressions make use of a small “wand”-like device that takes multiple pictures of one’s teeth, and then essentially stitches these together to form a complete replication of the patient’s mouth. This data can then be used to fabricate various restorations, thus preventing the patient from ever having to experience the gag-like phenomenon associated with traditional impressions.