Implement practice procedures that make the best possible use of their time. Similarly, safeguarding patient satisfaction and confidence is paramount to the management of a successful team. Advanced dental procedures such as digital impression systems are popular with dental practitioners, as not only do they increase clinical accuracy they decrease overall procedure time.
Creating conventional impressions can be messy, prone to problems with drag and setting and often make patients feel vulnerable. The taste of impression fluid is unpleasant and many patients find it difficult to control the gag reflex. Often dentists must take time away from the procedure to relax patients and address unexpected side effects. The importance of careful technique to create a dental impression first time round is paramount as any errors can have a detrimental effect on the patient’s experience and confidence in their dentist.
The use of digital impression scanners means that patients receive a more comfortable, non-evasive procedure with the advantage of radically improved accuracy. Although the actual scanning procedure can take approximately five minutes longer to complete than conventional impressions, the digital alternative reduces the risk of errors and the potential need for remakes. The treatment instills increased confidence in the patient and the practitioner is able to produce a precise digital impression of a patient’s mouth within minutes.
Impressions can be cleanly made using digital images. Data can be easily integrated and sent wirelessly to CAD/CAM systems, milling units and laboratories. This saves precious time communicating patient’s details and requirements and reduces the potential for human error. As digital intraoral scanning has the potential to produce high quality, anatomically accurate images, the precision of the scans facilitates natural, functional restorations requiring fewer alterations and adjustments.
Due to the accuracy of the scanning techniques, a considerable amount of time can be saved at the fitting stage reducing the overall treatment time.
The CS 3500 intraoral scanner from Carestream Dental provides practitioners with the ability to obtain 2D and 3D detailed images and precise colour matching. The handpiece can be angled up to 45 degrees and is able to scan to a depth range from -2mm to +13mm. It also incorporates an innovative light guidance system designed to optimise image and data capture while enabling the dental professional to concentrate on the patient rather than watching a monitor. The CS 3500 is fully portable; it does not require an external heater, powder, liquids or trolley system and can be plugged into any workstation using a USB cable. These features streamline the scanning process, saving time and providing an improved treatment experience to patients.
The potential for a reduction in treatment time is an extremely valuable asset. When patients receive fast results without errors they cannot help being impressed and confident with the care they receive. Confidence in their dentist grows, and satisfied patients means that dentists can enjoy the benefits of return visits, recommendations and increased referrals. Furthermore when procedures are time effective and accurate, a growth in business strength follows naturally.
For more information, contact Carestream Dental on 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk