Ensmile Team
15 April 2024Digital Capture: The process starts chairside with the intraoral scanner capturing the patient's dental arches digitally
Intraoral scanners have rapidly become a cornerstone of modern orthodontic practices, especially in clear aligner production. These advanced digital devices replace traditional dental molds by capturing precise 3D impressions of a patient's teeth and gums. The result is a faster, more accurate workflow for creating custom aligners, leading to improved treatment outcomes and higher patient satisfaction.
Across Europe, dental clinics and laboratories are increasingly adopting intraoral scanning technology. This trend underscores the significant impact intraoral scanners are having on the industry. In this article, we explore what intraoral scanners are, their benefits for orthodontic businesses, and how Ensmile's cutting-edge solutions are driving precision and efficiency in clear aligner production.
Modern intraoral scanners are handheld devices that employ optical technologies (such as lasers or structured light) to capture highly accurate digital impressions of a patient's oral anatomy. As the clinician moves the scanner wand around the patient's mouth, the device rapidly records the surfaces of the teeth and gums, stitching together hundreds of snapshots into a complete three-dimensional model.
Thanks to recent technological advancements, a full dental arch can be scanned in just a few minutes, dramatically streamlining the data-gathering process. This digital approach overcomes many challenges of traditional alginate or silicone molds – there are no bulky impression trays, no mess, and significantly less patient discomfort. The resulting 3D scan can be viewed instantly on a computer, allowing both patient and practitioner to immediately see the digital model of the teeth.
Incorporating intraoral scanners into an orthodontic or dental practice offers numerous benefits, particularly for those providing invisible aligner treatments. Key advantages include:
Intraoral scanners capture fine details with exceptional accuracy, producing a 3D model of the teeth that closely mirrors the patient's actual dentition. This level of precision leads to aligners that fit more snugly and perform as intended, ensuring predictable tooth movements and improved patient satisfaction. By eliminating errors like voids or distortions common with physical molds, digital impressions help reduce the need for refinements or remakes of aligners.
Using digital scans can significantly speed up the aligner production process. Instead of shipping physical molds to a lab (which can take days), the digital impression file is sent electronically within minutes. The aligner manufacturer (such as Ensmile) can begin designing and 3D printing the aligners almost immediately. This acceleration means patients receive their custom aligners faster, and clinics can start treatments sooner.
Intraoral scanners simplify the workflow for dental professionals. High-speed scanning reduces chair-time per patient, enabling orthodontists and dentists to increase productivity without compromising quality. The digital data integrates seamlessly with CAD/CAM software and treatment planning systems used for clear aligners. By cutting out multiple manual steps, clinics experience a more efficient process with fewer opportunities for human error.
Digital scans improve communication between the clinic and the dental laboratory or aligner manufacturer. With intraoral scanners, real-time sharing of the STL files or cloud-based access allows labs to review impressions almost instantly. Any issues with a scan can be identified and addressed quickly, often while the patient is still in the chair. This immediacy fosters better collaboration and ensures a smoother production pipeline.
From a patient's perspective, intraoral scanning is far more comfortable and convenient than the old method of taking impressions. There's no need for trays filled with gooey impression material that can cause gagging or discomfort. Instead, patients simply sit while the dentist scans their mouth with a small wand. The process is quick and minimally invasive, which helps reduce patient anxiety.
Intraoral scanners have revolutionized how clear aligners are designed and manufactured by enabling an end-to-end digital workflow. In a traditional setup, after taking a physical impression, a dental clinic would send it to a lab, where the impression is cast into a stone model. Today, with intraoral scanning, the workflow becomes much more direct and error-resistant:
Digital Capture: The process starts chairside with the intraoral scanner capturing the patient's dental arches digitally
Cloud-Based Transfer: The 3D scan file is uploaded securely to a cloud platform or portal
Treatment Planning: Specialized orthodontic CAD software is used to plan the tooth movements
Aligner Fabrication: Data is used to fabricate aligners through 3D printing and thermoforming
Quality Assurance: Digital records allow for thorough quality checks and easy revisions
By integrating intraoral scanners into this workflow, each stage from initial impression to final aligner delivery becomes faster and more reliable. Eliminating physical impressions and shipping can easily save several days per case. Moreover, the digital precision reduces the chance of aligners not fitting perfectly, decreasing the likelihood of costly reworks or delays in treatment.
As a leading B2B provider of clear aligner services in Europe and beyond, Ensmile is at the forefront of adopting intraoral scanning technology for the benefit of our partners. We supply state-of-the-art intraoral scanners to the dental clinics and orthodontic businesses we work with. These cutting-edge scanners allow practitioners to take highly accurate digital impressions, effectively eliminating the need for old-fashioned putty molds during case onboarding.
Ensmile's intraoral scanner offerings (including our innovative EnScan device) are chosen for their reliability and advanced features that align with the needs of modern aligner production. Key features include:
High-speed image capture - scan a full arch in just a couple of minutes
Powder-free scanning - no need for messy contrast powder on teeth
AI-powered tools that automatically filter soft tissue and highlight margin lines
Seamless platform integration with Ensmile's digital portal
Full support and training for dental professionals
Furthermore, the scanners integrate seamlessly with Ensmile's digital platform. The moment a scan is completed, it can be sent to our cloud portal with a single click. Our technical team can then leverage the scan for AI-driven treatment planning and aligner design, ensuring each case progresses efficiently.
The advent of intraoral scanners is revolutionizing the clear aligner industry. For orthodontic practices and dental labs, especially those operating in the competitive European market, going digital is no longer optional – it's a must for staying ahead. Intraoral scanning technology offers a win-win scenario: clinicians benefit from streamlined workflows and enhanced accuracy, while patients enjoy faster service and better-fitting aligners.
At Ensmile, we are proud to be part of this digital dentistry revolution. By providing our B2B partners with cutting-edge intraoral scanners and an end-to-end digital aligner production service, we help practices large and small unlock new levels of precision and productivity.
📩 Contact Ensmile Today! 📞 Phone: +1 800 123 4567 📨 Email: support@ensmile.com 🌐 Website: www.ensmile.com
Contact Ensmile to learn more about how our intraoral scanner solutions and aligner services can seamlessly integrate into your practice. Embrace the power of digital impressions today, and take your clear aligner offerings to the next level of excellence.
