Cadent iTero Digital Impressions

Have you seen our  iTero Digital Scanner? It looks like R2D2 and talks to us in a robot voice! It makes crowns, bridges and veneers from hundreds of images of your teeth instead of from rubber impressions.

iTero digital oral scanner at McCarl Dental Group

At McCarl Dental group in Greenbelt and Millersville, MD we are excited to be using the advanced iTero technology that almost completely eradicates the need for conventional dental impressions. Instead, the iTero device allows a virtual 3D impression to be taken of the patient’s teeth in about the same amount of time that it used to take impression material to set and harden.

iTero technology works by using an intra-oral scanner that takes approximately 300 slices of information with 100,000 points in each picture. A voice-guided computer program navigates the clinician on proper placement of the scanning mechanism, so that a thorough image is recorded. These different layers of information are laced together to create a 3D image of the teeth.

Because the iTero impression technology is extremely accurate, it improves the seating of restorations like crowns and bridges by requiring little to no adjustment to the fit of the restoration when it is permanently placed into the mouth. With conventional impressions there are numerous steps to be taken, all of which require extreme detail, and all of which can alter the way a dental restoration fits into the mouth. With iTero, these other steps are not required, and the precise digital 3D image ensures proper fit of the final restoration.

Our patients love the iTero because there is no need for taking traditional impressions that may trigger a gag reflex. The iTero also saves time for both our patients and our staff by shortening appointment length and doing away with the need to fabricate models in our own dental lab. Instead, the 3D impression is sent wirelessly to the iTero laboratory that takes the information and creates an accurate polyurethane model of the teeth, which is sent to the dental technician who will create the crown, bridge, veneer, or other dental restoration. The need for re-impressions, sometimes needed with conventional impressions, is not a factor with iTero technology.  This also helps McCarl Dental do its part to go green, by reducing consumables and waste products.

The iTero digital impression allows restorations to be made from all types of materials, whether porcelain or gold, it doesn’t matter. McCarl Dental Group uses the iTero to scan for various restorative and cosmetic dental procedures like crowns, bridges, veneers, onlays and inlays.

If you’ve been putting off dental treatment because of dental impressions or other conventional treatment, call our Millersville or Greenbelt, MD locations at (410) 987-8800 or (301) 474-4144 to schedule an appointment.

iTero digital oral scanner next to foot pedal drill (circa 1920s) Dentistry has come a LONG WAY!

The dentists at McCarl Dental Group were among the first dentists in the Annapolis, Severna Park and Washington, DC area to learn and implement the techniques of the highest quality aesthetic dental restorations with porcelain crowns and veneers. The Drs. McCarl began their advanced post-doctorate training in cosmetic dentistry in the 1980s as these techniques were being invented and regularly attend continuing education for training in all of the latest restorative and cosmetic dental procedures and dental products. Successful cosmetic dental cases, whether a full-arch restoration or matching a single anterior porcelain crown or veneer, require extensive knowledge and planning as well as a high level of technical skill. McCarl dentists fully integrate art and science of dentistry with patient centered dental treatment.

With the iTero digital scanner, Drs. McCarl are able to use laser and optical scanning to digitally capture three-dimensional (3D) virtual images of tooth preparations so that all dental restorations  including porcelain crowns and veneers are perfectly shaped with a precision fit.  The iTero scanner captures 100,000 points of red laser light which creates perfect focus images of more than 300 focal depths of the tooth structure. Digital scanning also eliminates problems associated with traditional impressions including errors caused by air bubbles, tray movement, inadequate tray adhesive, or distortion.  This is a “win-win” situation for our patients because in addition to increased precision, digital scanning is more comfortable than traditional dental impressions.  These images are sent via high speed cable to our dental laboratory, BECDEN.  All of the information that we provide to our dental laboratory is confidential, secure and protected consistent with HIPPA standards. In addition to digital impressions, our dentists send very detailed information for each dental patient, including the patient’s goals for their smile makeover.  We provide photographs of the prepared teeth, facial photographs, study models with detailed descriptions, bite registration, and amount of incisal translucency and surface texture desired.

At McCarl Dental Group, we feature the latest technology, combined with twenty-five years of post-doctorate education and three generations of experience in caring for your smile. Please visit our website http://www.mccarldental.com or http://www.dtidental.com/ourlabs/becden/welcome.html to see cosmetic dentistry with porcelain crowns and veneers by McCarl dentists.