Stafford, Gary L.

English

epublications@Marquette

Marquette Universitye-Publications@MarquetteSchool of Dentistry Faculty Research andPublications Dentistry, School of1-1-2017Dental Impressions: The Digital AlternativeGary L. StaffordMarquette University, gary.stafford@marquette.eduPublished version. WDA Journal, Vol. 93, No. 1 ( January-February 2017): 17-18. Publisher link. ©2017 Wisconsin Dental Association. Used with permission.D ental impressions are defined as “a negative imprint of an oral structure used to produce a positive replica of the structure to be used as a permanent record or in the production of a dental restoration or prosthesis.”1  The concept of taking dental impressions to create dental models was first introduced in the mid-18th century when Phillip Pfaff, dentist to Frederick the Great of Prussia, described the technique of pouring plaster of Paris into a beeswax impression.2 While our materials have certainly evolved over the course of the last 260 years, we continue to follow a similar workflow in our attempt to create an accurate analog representation of the oral environment.  This conversion process presents many challenges for practicing clinicians that are related to impression retake cost, time, patient comfort and frustration when errors lead to an ill-fitting final restoration.  It is appropriate then to pose the question, why is the most critically important step in what we do in restorative dentistry, which is to transfer the data from the patient (dental impression) to the laboratory (gypsum model), continued to be captured in an analog manner when we have a viable digital alternative?  This analog dental impression workflow also creates complications for our dental laboratory partners that are perhaps best illustrated by a 2015 survey in which 47 percent of the survey respondents ranked dentists’ impression-taking skills as their number one client related challenge.3 The results of this survey are supported by an often cited 2005 article in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry which concluded that 89.1 percent of dental impressions sent to a dental laboratory had at least one or more observable, critical errors.4  Regardless of whether one chooses to replicate an oral structure digitally or in a more conventional manner, paying attention to the fundamentals of preparation design, tissue management and appropriate isolation is paramount. However, digital impressions address many of the concerns related to retake cost, time, patient comfort5 and, due to their accuracy,6,7 helps to reduce frustration when delivering the final restoration.  Dentistry is no different from any other business sector in the sense that there has been a quantum shift in the design, processing and manufacturing of goods. The laboratory community recognizes that digital impressions are integral to the future of their business model and although 41 percent of dental laboratories are equipped to receive digital impressions, only six percent of the cases submitted are from digital intraoral scans.3  The goal of every dental practice is to continually improve clinical outcomes and profitability, with gains in production quality being one of the key drivers of these improvements. As such, it is only reasonable to assume that our profession will continue to embrace digital methods in managing one of our most routine and critically important procedures. In a continued effort to be on the forefront in educating the dentists of tomorrow and recognizing that the future resides in a digital workflow, we at the Marquette University School of Dentistry are currently modifying our curriculum to place a stronger emphasis on emerging dental technologies. One such example is our acquisition of several 3M™ Mobile True Definition Scanners. I am proud to say that 17WDA.org WDAJ         January|February 2017Dental impressions:  The digital   alternativeGary L. Stafford, DMD Associate Professor and Chair of the Department  of General Dental Sciences at Marquette University School of Dentistry gary.stafford@mu.eduContinued on page 18...Image courtesy of 3MImage courtesy of 3M18  WDA.orgWDAJ         January|February 2017...continued from page 17 Complete Dental Staffing has been providing dental staffing services since 2002 and is now moving nationwide. We have earned an excellent reputation through our continued work as Complete Mobile Dentistry and are proud to be a dental staffing agency that you can count on. We are dedicated to providing high-level service to our clients and rewarding job opportunities for our dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants. Whether you need short-term coverage or permanent placement, Complete Dental Staffing will provide quality dental staff to keep your office running efficiently.Visit our website to learn more:  www.completedentalstaffing.com NEW PRODUCT/ SERVICE CORNER Talk to a FELLOW DENTIST when you  make the biggest decision of your career - TRANSITIONING!> Call 847-814-4149 or email today for your complimentary consultation.Dr. Robert A. Uhland Dr. Mary Anne Thometz UhlandWWW.WISCONSINDENTALBROKER.COMFINALLY...A DENTAL BROKERAGE THAT IS OPERATED  BY A DENTIST AND WDA AFFILIATE MEMBER.COMPLIMENTARY HAPPY HOUR AT MIDWINTER!stop by booth #5003 friday, Feb. 24th & register for our FREE happy hour! WDA MEMBERSWELCOME!1. Academy of Prosthodontics – Glossary of Prosthodontic Terms, 2015.2. Guerini, V. A history of dentistry. Philadelphia & New York, Lea & Febiger, 1909. pp. 241-242, 305-6.3. 2015 State of the Industry Survey. Laboratory Management Today.4. Samet N, Shohat M, Livny A, Weiss EI. A clinical evaluation of fixed partial denture impres-sions. J Prosthet Dent 2005;94(2):112-117.5. Schepke U, Meijer HJ, Kerdijk W, Cune MS. Digital versus analog complete-arch impressions for single-unit premolar implant crowns: Operating time and patient preference. J Prosthet Dent 2015:114(3):403-406.6. Shembesh M, Ali A, Finkelman M, Weber HP, Zandparsa R. An in vitro comparison of the mar-ginal adaptation accuracy of CAD/CAM restorations using different impression systems. J Prost-hodont 2016: Feb 8. doi:10.1111/jopr.12466. [Epub ahead of print].7. Chochlidakis MK, Papaspuridakos P, Geminiani A, Chen CJ, Feng IJ, Ercoli C. Digital ver-sus conventional impressions for fixed prosthodontics: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Prosthet Dent 2016;116(2):184-190.we are the first dental school in North America to have secured these recently introduced intraoral scanners for use by our students in the pre-doctoral clinics.  I view these units as game changers that offer distinct advantages over conventional impressions, and with many intraoral scanner options available, there is no need to wait to join the early adopters as you can easily find one that meets your individual practice goals. Implementing this contemporary approach in capturing “positive” images of oral structures will certainly afford you the opportunity to improve your clinical outcomes while showcasing your interest and commitment to providing-state-of-the-art dentistry to your patients. 

Dental Impressions: The Digital Alternative

https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1242&amp;context=dentistry_fac

Dental Impressions: The Digital Alternative

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