The continuous emergence of dentistry software supported by various forms, brands, and technology platforms has made the digitalization of intraoral impressions a core part of the computer-aided repair. If one day, the intraoral scanning system can quickly obtain three-dimensional images of the subgingival, bleeding, and saliva locations, then the development of sufficiently mature digital impressions can completely replace traditional impression technology.
1.History of digital impressions:
The development of dental CAD / CAM started with digital impressions that can take images in the mouth. In 1971, Dr. Duret of France used the optical impression method to obtain a digital model of the abutment and used it to process the crown. Based on this, he created the Sopha system. At that time, due to the limited computer level, the accuracy and convenience of digital impression technology were greatly restricted, and the digital impression technology lacked a excellent combination with oral clinical work.
In 1983, with the advent of the CEREC system, dental digital impressions entered the daily work of dentists as a revolutionary method of obtaining post-dental morphology. Dr. Moermann of Switzerland directly used intraoral cameras to make impressions. Then he used porcelain blocks to design and make inlays for patients at the chair. The absolute innovation of this method was reflected in the realization of the idea of making the restoration in one day. The dentist quickly accepted this idea. This method of using a complete system to provide dental defect solutions for dentists brought the efficiency and convenience brought by the development of computers to the dentist. Since then, there has been a digital development direction in the field of stomatology.
After the first digital dental equipment was gradually promoted and applied, various digital dental systems gradually emerged on the market. In 1987, Dr. Andersson invented the Procera system. Due to the rapid rise in the price of gold, the system’s use of EDM technology to process titanium has gradually attracted attention, and digital methods have been used to make resin-covered restorations. Subsequently, this processing method gradually developed into a digital processing center, and prosthetics were produced for dentists around the world. Followed by Cercon, Kavo, CEREC-3D, 3M LAVA, and Wieland digital dental systems are gradually available, and with the development of dental materials science, it has gradually become one of the three core areas of dental medicine development.
As a cutting-edge technology:
Digital impression technology, as a cutting-edge technology for obtaining data in digital dental systems, affects the accuracy of the entire system, especially the adaptability of the restoration edges. The ideal effect should be the same as traditional production methods, or more precise. Even the scanning of traditional plaster models has quite high requirements for precision. The details of the edges and the shape of the remaining root tissue are indispensable elements in the final digital impression.
The method of obtaining digital impressions:
The method of obtaining digital impressions can be direct or indirect. Indirect methods include scanning plaster models and scanning fine impressions. Since this method is a static scan, the accuracy mainly depends on the accuracy of the image taken by the device, and the solution has gradually matured. The direct method is a direct scan in the mouth. Due to the complexity of the soft and hard tissue structure in the mouth and the influence of the humid environment, the scanning element itself is difficult. In addition, the scanning process is a dynamic process operated and controlled by a doctor, so the requirements for the device are very high. In order to obtain a more accurate digital impression, the simpler the operation steps, the more beneficial it is to maintain good accuracy.
