Digital dental impressions in Küsnacht with a scanner instead of a traditional impression

What is a digital dental impression?

A digital dental impression is a three-dimensional image of your teeth, taken directly in the mouth. It replaces the traditional impression with an impression tray and impression material. The result is not a plaster model but a file.

A small scanner instead of a tray and impression material

At our clinic, a small scanner captures your teeth as a photorealistic 3D image, with no impression material. The same procedure goes by several names: intraoral scan, digital scan or digital impression.

How an intraoral scanner works

Intraoral scanners work with light. The scanner shines light onto the teeth and gums. It continuously records the reflected light as images. Software then stitches the many individual images together into a 3D model.

Digital dental impressions vs traditional impressions

A traditional impression, taken with impression material, is a proven method. A digital scan works differently.

The main differences at a glance

These differences apply to digital scanning in general:

• No putty in your mouth: there is no tray, and nothing has to set.
• Rescanning instead of starting again: if an area has been missed, only that area is scanned again. A failed impression usually has to be redone from scratch.
• On screen at once: the 3D image appears during the scan and can be checked straight away.
• Sent digitally: the data go to production as a file, and no plaster model is needed.

If you have a strong gag reflex

For many people with a gag reflex, a scan is more comfortable than an impression. Nothing sets in the mouth, and the scan can be paused at any time. Even so, the scanner head has to go into your mouth and reach the back molars. Please tell us beforehand if you gag easily.

How an intraoral scan is taken

One jaw at a time, then your bite

Usually, one jaw is scanned first, then the other. Finally, you bite together and the scanner records your teeth from the side. This lets the software match the upper and lower jaw as they meet in your bite. In between, a stream of air dries the teeth, because saliva interferes with the image.

The 3D image builds up on screen

The image builds up on screen during the scan, and gaps show up straight away. Before aligners or veneers, the scan is also used for planning. The plan then shows the expected result before treatment begins. This is a plan, not a promise of the result.

What happens to your scan data

A scan of your teeth counts as health data. Swiss data protection law classes health data as particularly sensitive. Dentists are also bound by professional secrecy. You can request information about which data we process about you.

What we use the intraoral scanner for

At our clinic, the scan is part of preventive care and of several treatments. Our treatment examples with a digital scan show what this looks like in practice. At your examination, we decide whether to scan your teeth and what for.

For prevention and early detection of tooth decay

We use the scan for preventive care and for the early detection of tooth decay. In dentistry, it is seen as a supporting tool here. Diagnosis still relies on the examination and, if needed, an X-ray. You can find out what happens during a dental check-up.

For crowns and veneers

For crowns and veneers, the scan replaces the impression. From the scan, we make the ceramic crown or veneer with the CEREC system in the clinic itself. Making it takes two to three hours. We match colour and shape to your teeth with the digital scanner. The procedure is shown on our page on crowns and veneers, often in one appointment. In our dental guide, you can read how porcelain veneers are made.

For planning an implant

Before an implant is placed, we plan with a digital scan and digital X-rays. The scan shows the gap where a tooth is missing, the neighbouring teeth and your bite. The X-rays show the bone, which the scan does not capture. The implant page explains how we plan and place an implant.

For straightening teeth with aligners

When teeth are straightened with Invisalign® or Angel Aligner, the scan replaces the impression material. We use it to plan the steps of your treatment. However, not every misalignment is suitable for aligners. In that case, another type of brace may be an option. Everything else about tooth straightening with clear aligners has its own page.

When a scan is not enough

What an intraoral scan cannot show

The scanner only records what is visible: teeth, gums and bite. It does not show the inside of the tooth, the roots or the bone. For that, we take an X-ray when needed. Our X-rays are digital and use around 80 per cent less radiation than conventional methods.

Complete dentures and other cases for a traditional impression

In some cases, a scan reaches its limits. Examples include a crown edge deep below the gum, bleeding or a lot of saliva. A complete denture (full denture) needs a functional impression, and a scanner cannot take one today. A traditional impression can then be the better choice. We check at your examination whether a scan is enough in your case.

What the scan costs in Switzerland

A digital dental impression is usually part of a treatment, such as a crown, an implant or tooth straightening. The cost therefore depends mainly on that treatment. In the Swiss dental tariff (Zahnarzttarif), each service is given a number of tax points (Taxpunkte). Tax points multiplied by the tax point value (Taxpunktwert) give the amount in Swiss francs. We bill transparently under the Dentotar tariff, with our tax point value of CHF 1.13, and give you open advice on costs.

In Switzerland, dental treatment is usually not covered by compulsory basic health insurance (Grundversicherung). Your policy shows whether supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung) pays for any of it.