No More Goopy Impressions

Messy, uncomfortable, gagging - this is probably how anyone would describe the old-school putty impressions at the dental office.

But thanks to dental innovations, we can now say goodbye to them.

With the use of a digital scanning system, you can have your impressions taken a lot more comfortably, accurately, and quickly.

The old putty impressions

If you’ve never experienced the old impressions, here’s what it’s like.

The dentist or dental assistant prepares the silicone putty to take impressions of your mouth for your dental appliances like braces and retainers.

Once the putty is soft, your dentist inserts it into your mouth and waits for it to harden. You need to bite down on the putty for a few minutes. This often makes patients gag, hence the results are seldom completely accurate.

Once the putty is set, your dentist removes it and inspects it to see if more impressions are needed to adequately capture the details of your mouth.

The final impression is then forwarded to the dental lab where your dental appliance is manufactured. Overall, the process can take several weeks.

It isn’t the most comfortable experience, but this was the only way to take mouth impressions before. Thankfully, many dental offices today are not adopting a digital solution to increase the accuracy of impressions and provide patients a more pleasant experience.

Here at Centennial Smiles in Calgary, Alberta, we’re pleased to offer digital intraoral scanners.

What’s in store for you with the new digital impressions?

The iTero® digital intraoral scanner is a pleasure for patients and dental professionals! Our patients who previously had goopy impressions taken are amazed at how quick and efficient this new system is.

iTero® scanners feature a small light-emitting wand. We run this wand through your mouth to capture high-resolution, digital 3D impressions.

The wands used to be bigger and harder to move inside the mouth. But today’s wands are significantly smaller and are a lot more comfortable. It can take comprehensive images of your farthest molars!

And because the tool is small, you don’t have to open your mouth too wide. As we scan your mouth, you can also see the images live through our screen. We can take your impressions within a few minutes, and you no longer have to worry about your gag reflex.

If you’re anxious about being in the dental chair, this is one solution to complete your treatments fast. The iTero® digital scanner reduces the need for retakes or adjustments. Your impressions can be taken within a single visit!

Goodbye to the messy putty, hello to 3D digital impressions

The iTero® intraoral scanner is such an exciting tool to use! It allows us to create precise impressions for your dental appliances. And you can see everything we do in your mouth in real time while you sit comfortably in the chair.

It saves our patients’ time and increases their peace of mind. We’re proud to have this state-of-the-art dental technology here at Calgary’s Centennial Smiles.

Do you want to see it in action? We’re ready when you are! Contact us today at (587) 317-7959 to schedule a consultation.