State-of-the-art technology can make trips to the dentist more efficient and less invasive than ever. Not only are new devices able to identify and predict oral health issues, but they help reduce the anxiety associated with dental procedures.

The use of iTero Digital Impressions by the doctors at Washington Center for Dentistry in Washington DC is an excellent example of one such advance. Below, we’ll look at the many benefits of the iTero system for making dental impressions.

What are iTero Digital Impressions?

When tooth decay is minimal, patients may require only a filling. But advanced tooth decay often requires a crown, bridge, implant, inlay, or onlay. Occasionally, you may need dentures if teeth have been extracted.

In order to create these tooth restorations, a dentist needs an exact replica of your mouth, including your teeth, gums, and jaw, to ensure a perfect fit. That’s where iTero’s digital scanner technology comes in.

iTero Digital Impressions replace the old dental trays full of putty that can easily induce a gag reflex. The putty impression method also leaves room for error and may need to be repeated.

iTero is a 3D digital image of your mouth taken with a scanner, and it’s much more reliable for dentists and comfortable for patients.

Why opt for iTero technology over traditional dental impressions?

Not only does dental putty induce the gag reflex, but if you have sensitive teeth, pulling the material off once it hardens can be uncomfortable. The old method can even cause jaw pain because it requires patients to open their mouths so wide for so long.

There are many benefits of the iTero digital scanner, including:

• A more comfortable and less anxiety-inducing experience

• Low rates of failure and more accurate results for better restorations

• A comprehensive 3D visual of the teeth that need repair and the surrounding areas

• A better look at your bite to ensure restorations are ideally tailored to your mouth

• Almost instant bedside results for easy patient education

• No messy trays

• Shorter, more efficient appointments

• A radiation-free imaging technique

• Digital storage of the results that improve record-keeping

It’s also far easier for the doctors at Washington Center for Dentistry to explain oral health issues and make recommendations to patients when they can see a realistic 3D digital rendering of their mouths simultaneously.

Getting the most accurate restorations with iTero technology

One of the most efficient aspects of our iTero scanners is that they allow us to measure for and create patient restorations and orthodontic devices, such as Invisalign® aligners, all under one roof.

Once a patient has a scan and agrees on a treatment plan, their data is transmitted electronically to Washington Center for Dentistry’s In-House Dental Lab, where lab techs make crowns, veneers, bridges, and aligners on the spot. This means we don’t have to send the data to a distant lab and wait for items to be sent back. Not only can we produce more accurate restoration this way, but there’s less waiting time for patients.

iTero Digital Impressions in Washington DC

The doctors at Washington Center for Dentistry are skilled in using iTero technology to create in-house restorations and orthodontics. Keeping all of your dental care under one roof is far more efficient.

If you’re ready to explore this new technology for your next dental procedure, schedule an appointment with the skilled doctors at Washington Center for Dentistry in Washington DC today.