What are the Intraoral scanners next to physical impressions for comparison? Digital dental models can be made using an intraoral scanner to scan the patient directly or a desktop optical scanner to scan a traditional impression or model.

The intraoral scanner is a portable device that focuses a light beam on the target area. The sensors then take hundreds or thousands of photographs to generate a 3D digital model of the area.

Dental professionals send alginate or polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) impressions to a dental lab to digitize a conventional physical impression using a desktop optical scanner.

Intraoral scanners can save dental office money because they take less chair time than traditional impressions. The patient is also much more comfortable with intraoral scanning than with traditional impressions.

A practice can save time and money by sending digital files to the lab instead of sending the impression. In-office 3D printing requires digital scans, but it can be cost-effective for practices that want to print their models.