Digital Intraoral Scanner

A digital intraoral scanner replaces the tray of putty. A small wand passes over your teeth and builds a three dimensional model on the screen in a few minutes. Nothing sets hard in your mouth, and nothing has to be held still while it does. At Pearl32 Dentistry and Wellness in Laguna Hills, the scan is used for crowns, aligners, night guards, implant crowns and tracking wear. Most people find it easier than an impression.

What does the scan feel like?

It feels like a small camera sliding along your teeth. The wand is about the size of an electric toothbrush head. It is passed over the chewing surfaces, then the cheek side, then the tongue side, while the model builds on the screen beside you.

A single arch takes about two to four minutes. Both arches and a bite record take five to ten. You can pause whenever you want, swallow, and continue. There is no tray, no putty, no setting time and no taste. You see the finished model immediately.

What is the scan used for?

Five uses cover most appointments. Crowns, inlays and onlays, which are designed from the scan and often milled here the same visit. Clear aligners, where the scan becomes the starting model. Night guards for grinding. Implant crowns, where a scan body records the implant position.

The fifth is monitoring. We can scan your teeth today and compare against a scan from two years ago, superimposed on the screen, to measure how much enamel has worn. That conversation about grinding goes differently when you can see the change. See same-day crowns and clear aligners.

What if you gag easily?

Scanning suits people who gag, and that is often the reason they come to us. There is no tray pressing on the palate, no material flowing toward the throat, and no waiting for anything to set. If you need to swallow, we lift the wand out and resume.

Other things help. Sitting upright, breathing through the nose, and scanning the front sections first to build confidence. Salt on the tongue works for some people. Nitrous oxide settles the reflex for most, and it wears off in minutes so you can drive yourself home.

How accurate is a digital scan?

For single crowns, inlays, onlays and most three unit bridges, a digital scan is accurate enough that the restoration fits without a physical model. That has been shown in repeated clinical studies, and it matches what we see on the fit checks in the operatory.

Full arch cases are a longer discussion. Scanning a whole arch with no teeth, for example for implant supported dentures, accumulates small errors across the span. In those cases we may verify with a physical record or a verification jig. We tell you which method we are using for your case and why.

What a scan will not do

A scan will not record what it cannot see. If the gum bleeds over a crown margin, or saliva pools, the image has a hole in it. We manage that with a retraction cord or a paste, and we rescan the area rather than sending a guess to the design software.

It also will not fix a crown margin that sits below the gum in inflamed tissue. That tooth may need crown lengthening first. And a scan is a record, not a diagnosis. We still examine the tooth, check the bite and review x-rays before deciding anything.

What does a digital scan cost?

The scan itself is part of the treatment it belongs to, not a separate charge in most cases. That treatment is quoted in writing, itemized, after an examination, and you will see what is included. Where a scan is taken purely for record keeping or monitoring, we tell you in advance whether there is a fee.

We are in network with most major PPO plans and Delta Dental HMO. Third party financing is available and the practice is not the creditor, through CareCredit, Cherry, Sunbit and Happen Bank (formerly LendingClub). See financing.

Questions people ask about digital Intraoral Scanner

Does the scanner use radiation?

No. The scanner uses visible light and a camera, not x-rays. It builds the model from thousands of photographs stitched together in real time. You can be scanned as often as needed with no dose at all, which is what makes wear monitoring practical year after year. X-rays are still needed separately to see inside teeth and bone.

Is it uncomfortable?

Most people describe it as odd rather than uncomfortable. The wand touches the teeth lightly and the tip is slightly warm to keep it from fogging. Your cheek and tongue are held aside briefly. There is no pressure on the palate and no material in your mouth. If you need a break, we lift the wand out and continue.

Can I see my own scan?

Yes, and we go through it with you on the screen. You can rotate the model, look at worn surfaces from any angle, and see where the bite is heaviest. Most people find it far easier to follow than a flat x-ray. We can also compare two scans taken years apart so the change is visible rather than described.

Does it work if I already have crowns or implants?

Yes. Existing crowns and fillings scan normally. For implants, a small scan body is screwed into the implant so the software knows the exact position and angle. Highly polished metal and deep unclean margins can scatter the light, and where that happens we adjust the technique or add a light dusting powder for that area.

How long do you keep the scan?

The files are stored with your record, so we can compare later scans and, in some cases, remake a night guard or a crown without scanning again. If you move or change dentists, we can share the file with your new office. Ask at the front desk in Suite 450 and we will arrange it.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. What is right for you can only be decided after an examination.