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  • Amanda Thomas has her teeth photographed by Missy Frye at Dr. Kent Hall’s office with the new 3D scanner. Rebeka "Beka" Rutledge

    Amanda Thomas has her teeth photographed by Missy Frye at Dr. Kent Hall’s office with the new 3D scanner.
February 22, 2012

Dental scanner eases visits

Rebeka Rutledge The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — Anyone who’s had to have dental or orthodontic impressions made knows how unpleasant an experience it can be. The procedure isn’t comfortable for patients, and Dr. Kent Hall knows that’s the case.

However, the longtime Duncan orthodontist now has a more patient-friendly method for impression making at Hall’s Orthodontics.

In the past, impressions were taken with messy materials that could take up to six minutes to solidify, and often more than one attempt was needed to get a usable impression. If a patient had sensitive “gag” reflexes, the process could be downright unbearable.

Hall’s practice now has a 3D scanner, which is a state-of-the art machine able to take 3D photos. It photographs sections of the teeth and the computer software fits all the pieces together to produce an extremely accurate computer model of the teeth and how they fit together.

“It even sets the bite,” said Hall.

Once the computer image is constructed, a patient’s photographs, X-rays and computer model are sent to Align, the company that makes Invisalign retainers. These are clear, tooth-straightening retainers that can be removed for eating and brushing.

Hall has been treating patients with Invisalign for the past 12 years and has worked on more than 600 cases. During that time, he has seen a number of changes, but the new scanner may be the best one, yet.

“The scanner has made all the difference in the world,” he said. “Patients don’t have to sit there with stuff in their mouth.”

Instead of the old process of a mouthful of a putty-like substance, a wand that takes photos is now used. It never reaches far enough to hit the “gag” reflexes and it can be removed at any time to allow the patient to take a drink of water or to swallow.

Amanda Thomas, one of Hall’s patients, was among the first to experience the scanner. She’s had impressions taken in the old-fashioned way and had much praise for the new method.

“It’s way better and it’s pretty cool,” said Thomas. “It’s not as messy and the stuff they used (in the previous method) was so cold and it hurt my sensitive teeth.”

Patients are also able to view the 3D image being made of their teeth as they are being photographed. After having to wait weeks to see the results of the old kind of impressions, this is an upgrade.

“It was interesting,” Thomas said. “I’ve never seen technology like that before.”

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