See Doug live at Building Your Practice Value with Intraoral Scanning and 3D Printing
When I think about conventional impressions, there is simply no comparison between the basic plaster models I have used in the past to explain my diagnosis and treatment recommendations to patients, and the incredibly detailed, three-dimensional, full colour scans I now have at my fingertips.
Intraoral scanners give my patients a window into their own mouths, and this has revolutionised the way I communicate with my patients.
The full picture
I use the 3Shape TRIOS® scanner, which can create a realistic three-dimensional digital model of a patient’s dentition in about six minutes, including the full upper and lower jaws and the palate.
This three-dimensional model gives the patient a complete picture of their teeth and a sense of how everything relates within their mouth.
I then use it to discuss any issues and together we work towards a co-diagnosis, rather than me trying to explain what the patient cannot see.
I find that it’s possible to disassociate oneself from photos to some degree, as we are bombarded with them constantly. But a full three-dimensional view of their mouth, in full colour, on a big screen, is entirely different.
The greater the understanding of the situation, the easier it is for my patients to comprehend my diagnosis. Their engagement in the process and the frank discussion of their case builds a real rapport between us, which is far more likely to end in an agreed treatment plan, with transparent and informed patient consent.
For more complex treatment plans, I often ask the patient to return for what we call a ‘treatment options meeting’. In preparation for this, my nurse will create a treatment plan document, complete with screen captures from the digital scan, to help illustrate the diagnosis and recommended treatment plan.
For cases such as implant treatment, we will also include the CBCT scans so the patient can understand the situation both above and below the gum line. We then go through the document in the meeting, referring back to the three-dimensional model if required.
Power to the patient
An unforeseen consequence of the increased visibility our patients now have of their dentition is that many request other treatments in addition to our recommendations because they have noticed a defect on the scan that they want to correct.
For example, a patient came to me with a broken tooth and I took a digital impression to show her the full picture, explaining that she would need a crown.
While looking at the scan, she commented that she didn’t like the appearance of the teeth on either side; they also had big fillings and she asked whether it was likely that she would have similar problems with these in the future. The likelihood was that she would, so she asked me to restore these teeth as well. Thus, a single crown became three replacement crowns, all thanks to the patient’s awareness and better understanding of the condition of her teeth.
Always connected
The digitisation of the diagnosis and treatment planning stages has also made it possible for patients to have remote access to their scans and treatment plans. For instance, the ‘My3Shape’ app is a patient smartphone app, which enables patients to see their three-dimensional scans, designs and smile images and even share them with friends and family.
It’s common for patients to have questions that only occur to them after their appointment, so having this access means they can refer back to the images and treatment plan and put their mind at rest immediately.
This portal has also helped us during the pandemic, as we have been able to call up previous digital impressions of our patients, which have aided with teledentistry appointments, where we’ve been unable to personally examine the patient’s teeth. Being able to refer to previous scans has helped us understand what the patient is describing and discuss appropriate treatments.
Meeting patient expectations
Using an intraoral scanner has boosted treatment uptake in many indirect ways, too. The increased speed and the decrease in remakes and adjustments in lab work has meant that we are able to accommodate more treatments in general.
The excellent outcomes we consistently achieve have increased word-of-mouth referrals as our patients tell friends and family about their positive experience with us and they see the results we can achieve.
Our patients really appreciate the ‘wow’ factor of digital dentistry, and I see great value in the investment we have made in our quest to provide advanced dental care.
I find that patients are much more aware of the existence of digital dentistry thanks to social media and information available on the internet, and they are much more knowledgeable about the type of treatments and technologies that are now available.
There is therefore a growing expectation amongst patients that dentists should be offering intraoral scans and digitally enabled dentistry as part of their ‘normal’ service.
Technology has been used in dentistry for decades now. I have been an early adopter of this technology and I believe that it is now truly coming of age and is advanced enough to be mainstream and versatile enough to use in daily practice.
Intraoral scanning has played a significant part in this shift from analogue to digital and it has revolutionised the way we do dentistry in so many ways, not least in the way we communicate with and inform our patients about the dental care we recommend.
See Doug live at Building Your Practice Value with Intraoral Scanning and 3D Printing