This article defines Dandy quality scanning standards for Dentures
What Makes a Quality Scan
- Selecting the Correct Workflow
- Sufficient Scan Data
- The Bite
- Distortions and Stitching Errors
Selecting the Correct Workflow
Selecting the correct workflow is crucial to ensure you get exactly what is needed and no delays from the lab asking for clarification.
- Before you begin scanning, select the correct workflow.
- If the patient has an existing denture they would like copied, make sure to select the patient would like a copy denture. You can always add notes if slight modifications are needed.
- If you want wax-rims sent, make sure you do not select that the patient has an existing denture. Selecting “no” to having an existing denture will trigger our wax-rim workflow.
- If the patient has existing teeth that will be extracted by the delivery of a denture, be sure to choose an immediate denture.
- If the denture will be implant-supported, be sure to choose over denture. This will prompt you to enter the implant information for this overdenture. It is very important that all implant information is entered correctly to ensure proper fit of the overdenture.
Sufficient Scan Data
Having sufficient scan data is crucial to achieving a good-fitting denture and to avoid any holds from the lab that may delay delivery.
What does a good scan vs. a bad scan need?
- Good: Capture all vestibules, tissue attachments, retromolar pad areas, palate and ridge.
- Good: The areas are fully scanned, with no guesswork about where landmarks may be.
- Bad: Missing crucial landmarks in scans and incomplete scans. This will result in a flag from the lab
- Bad: Missing scan data that allows better retention for the denture. Ant areas that help with retention need to be fully captured.
The bite
A good bite is crucial to having dentures that follow the same bite and having less occlusal adjustments at delivery.
What is a good vs. bad bite scan?
- Good: Properly aligned bite matches the patient's mouth
- Good: Properly aligned Bite shows accurate wear patterns
- Bad: Bite does not reflect the patient's mouth
- Bad: Bite scans show discrepancies on wear patterns
Distortions and Stitching Errors
Avoiding distortions and stitching errors is crucial to have a great-fitting denture and to avoid delays in production.
What is a usable vs. an unusable scan?
- Good: There are no distortions, holes, or stitching errors in these scans.
- Good: There are no areas of visible overlap or double images.
- Bad: Noticeable holes or distortions in the scans
- Bad: Clear double imaging on a scan step
Helpful Tips
- When taking 360° scans of dentures, they can sometimes be very shiny, making it difficult for the scanner to capture these areas. This usually results in double scanning. Try to use a scan spray. If you do not have any, it could be worth investing in. Sometimes, rubbing articulating paper on the very shiny areas can help capture them and slightly dull the shine.
- For 360 scans, ensure the wash impression does not cover the teeth; if it does, please trim it with a scalpel.
- Here is a great practice facing article explaining 360 scanning in detail.
- Common concerns with denture scans are distortions and stitching errors.
- What causes these errors:
- Shine from a denture or saliva
- Moving too fast while scanning
- Not being close enough to what is being scanned
- Too high of an image count
- Shine from a denture or saliva:
- When taking a 360 ° scan of a denture, it can sometimes have a lot of shine, which may interfere with the scanner's camera. A way to solve this problem would be to use scan spray, which takes away all shine. Another option that may work is rubbing articulation paper on the shiny area.
- Moving too fast while scanning:
- When moving the scanner too quickly, it does not allow ample time for the scanner to pick up data needed and can skip over some areas. This results in distortions because the scanner does not recognize the data it is picking up.
- Not being close enough to what is being scanned:
- When the scanner is too far from what is being scanned, it will not capture all the data and will only see data it does not recognize, which can cause distortions. Be sure to stay as close to what you are scanning as possible. Even lightly touching what you are scanning is okay.
- When scanning a hard-to-reach area, try entering it from different angles with the scanner to get closer to the area.
- Too high of an image count:
- Ideally, the image count should not be over 5,000. You will see this image count in the top right corner of the scan step you are on.
- When the image count goes over 5,000 it is likely that scan data will be taken from other areas of your scan and may have a harder time post-processing as well. Be sure to keep an eye on this as you are scanning. If you are close to the max image count and still have a lot of scanning left, it may be best to reset that scan.