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How Digital Oral Scanners Help Us Help You


Digital Oral Scanners

At North Raleigh Periodontics we constantly strive to find ways to make our patients’ experiences as positive as possible. Part of this endeavor involves implementing cutting-edge technology to facilitate exceptional periodontal treatment combined with extraordinary patient comfort and care. That is why we are excited to have implemented digital, intraoral scanners here at North Raleigh Periodontics.

With these digital scanners, gone are the days of gooey, gag-inducing dental impressions. Instead, we are able to utilize the scanner to take digital impressions. Used to quickly capture a complete image of your mouth, this technology is a welcome change from the antiquated mode of taking impressions. Traditionally, taking an impression involved inserting a large metal tray into your mouth and waiting for the foul-tasting goop to congeal around your choppers. From there, the putty mold was poured into a stone cast to create a physical plaster model. With intraoral scanners, this tiresome method of taking impressions is a relic of the past.

The digital scanner is a sleek, wand-like device, with two tiny, high-definition video cameras contained in the tip. The practitioner waves the scanner over the teeth, and it captures two video streams which are then processed by a powerful computer to generate a digital 3D model. Without ever touching you, the scanner is able to capture a 360-degree image of your entire mouth in mere moments. You can observe the images being taken in real-time on the screen in front of you.

This real-time imaging allows Dr. Singletary to see every detail — from the roof of your mouth to behind and between your back molars — in granular detail. And as Dr. Singletary reviews the image, he can zoom in, rotate, and manipulate the image to derive a detailed knowledge of your oral health.

While traditional impressions often trigger a gag reflex, digital impressions eliminate this discomfort by eradicating the use of large metal trays and putty. Digital impressions increase the patient’s ability to learn about his or her own health as well because Dr. Singletary can immediately show you the digital impression on the computer screen and explain to you what he sees and what it means.

What’s more, the digital scanner helps speed the process of providing you access to the appliances your treatment requires, like mouth guards, night guards, and other oral devices. The practitioner no longer has to wait for the plaster to harden, pour a mold, package the mold, and ship it to the laboratory to create your appliance. Rather, the practitioner quickly scans your mouth and electronically transmits the digital impression to the lab, with just a click of a button.

The intraoral scanner doesn’t just increase patient comfort and speed up the process of making appliances, however. The scanner also promotes rapid communication and interprofessional diagnoses between Dr. Singletary and other healthcare professionals. Using easily shareable digital impressions, practitioners in different cities or even states can collaborate in a more productive fashion to provide superior patient care.

The intraoral scanner also aids Dr. Singletary in planning implant placements. Every person’s mouth is unique. Using digital impressions, Dr. Singletary crafts the optimal implant treatment plan for each individual patient, both aesthetically and clinically.

To conclude, Dr. Singletary and his staff are dedicated to providing excellent patient care. Part of this approach requires staying abreast of the latest innovations and deciding what will best serve patients. By utilizing the digital intraoral scanner, Dr. Singletary continues to promote patient health, comfort, and peace of mind.

Have questions? Give us a call at (919) 518-8222. We’d love to speak with you!