At the beginning of every orthodontic treatment we offer here at Shirck Orthodontics, whether it’s a child getting braces or an adult getting Invisalign, one of the very first steps is taking an impression of the teeth and bite. Instead of using odd-tasting dental putty and a mold to do this, we’re proud to be the very first orthodontist in Powell to offer 100% digital 3D impressions! This not only helps patients save time, but also enjoy a more effective treatment and even better results! How do 3D impressions actually work? You can find out right now in today’s blog.
Why Impressions Are So Important
When the team at Shirck Orthodontics changes the alignment of the teeth, we’re not only altering the individual teeth themselves, but how they come together to form the bite as well. This gives us the ability to improve the appearance of the smile and how it functions, which is why we can often use orthodontics to stop chronic jaw pain and stiffness. Of course, in order to know where we need a patient’s bite to be, we have to know where it is before we begin treatment, and that’s where impressions come in. These models allow us to gain a deeper understanding of a patient’s smile so we can apply treatment in the most effective way possible.
Why Digital Impressions Are Better
Have you ever had a dental impression taken the traditional way? It’s not the most pleasant experience in the world! A patient has to bite down into goopy dental putty placed into a mold for minutes at a time. This process is usually messy, causes many patients to gag, and often requires retakes. Needless to say, there is a lot of room for improvement, and that’s where our iTero Scanner comes into play. It takes all the drawbacks of traditional impressions and instantly solves them.
Now, all we need to do is take a small, handheld device and use it to scan the teeth. The camera tip is very thin and fits comfortably into even the smallest mouth, and there it captures thousands of data points about the teeth. On a nearby monitor, this data is turned into a highly-detailed digital impression that gives our team all the information they need to plan a patient’s treatment.
The entire process only takes a few minutes, is extremely comfortable, and it doesn’t ever call for retakes! Plus, the impressions themselves are of a much higher quality compared to old physical ones, helping our team come up with extremely personalized treatment plans that are guaranteed to deliver gorgeous results. And, we can even use this technology to show a patient what their teeth will look like after treatment, giving them a preview of their new smile. This can be tremendously motivating and give someone all the energy they need to keep their treatment on track.
Schedule a FREE Consultation & Digital Impression
If your child’s dentist says that they need braces, or if you’re interested in straightening your own teeth with Invisalign, then we invite you to schedule a FREE consultation here at Shirck Orthodontics in Powell. During this appointment, we’ll take a digital impression so we can better understand you or your child’s smile and show you how treatment will help. We’ll also be happy to answer all of your questions so you can begin treatment with complete confidence.
At Shirck Orthodontics, we combine expertise, friendly service, and the latest technology to put smiles on Powell faces, and we can’t wait to do the same for you! To schedule a FREE consultation and see how amazing digital impressions are for yourself, give us a call today.