Digital Impressions vs. Traditional Impressions

Although traditional silicone impressions have worked excellently for decades, intraoral digital scanning is changing the reality of collaboration between the dental office and the laboratory. This isn't just a cool gadget to try – it's an operational shift that speeds up work by several days and eliminates errors resulting from material deformation.

Why digital impressions change laboratory work

Traditional impression: the patient comes in, you take a silicone impression, the patient waits 5–10 minutes for it to set, then you send the package to the lab (2–3 days delivery). The lab technician receives the model, pours it in gypsum, waits for it to harden, then finally starts work.

Digital impression: the patient comes in, you collect data with an intraoral scan in 3–5 minutes, and you send the STL file to the laboratory via email. The technician receives the data immediately, doesn't wait for a physical model, and starts work in hours, not days.

The difference isn't 24 hours – it's an average of 3–5 days accelerated throughout the entire cycle.

Specific advantages for the clinician

Speed of order submission. You send the scan instantly. The laboratory works even before the patient leaves the office.

No material deformation. Silicone impressions are subject to minor dimensional changes during storage and transport. A digital file is a pixel record that does not deform.

Archiving. All patient data in the cloud. Patient returns in 5 years? You have the intraoral scan from that period.

Reduced misunderstandings. The technician sees exactly what you see in the patient's mouth – they don't work based on an interpretation of a gypsum model.

Typical scanners and their capabilities

3Shape Trios 3 – the gold standard in dental offices. Accuracy ~12 µm, full arch scan ~90 seconds. Price approx. 80–100 thousand PLN.

CEREC Primescan – Dentsply Sirona system. Accuracy ~13 µm, full arch scan time ~2 minutes.

iTero Element 5D – Align Technology system. Allows not only scanning but also orthodontic planning. Accuracy ~12 µm.

Planmeca Emerald – appreciated in Poland – accurate, fast, compatible with most laboratory software.

All are in the accuracy range of 10–15 µm, which is sufficient for any prosthetic work.

What to avoid initially

Inexperience with preparation margins. If the preparation margin is hidden subgingivally, you must expose it before scanning. Use retraction cord + retraction paste.

Lack of full antagonist scan. Always scan both upper and lower arches.

Occlusal scan "by eye" only. Capture the patient in natural centric occlusion and take an additional scan in this position.

Ignoring artifacts on the scanner screen. Double lines or geometric shifts require rescanning.

Does an intraoral scan always replace a traditional impression?

Almost always. Exceptions: full edentulous arches, very deep subgingival margins (>3 mm), patients with a strong gag reflex.

How long does the patient sit in the chair during scanning?

3–5 minutes for the entire arch. Faster than a traditional impression.

Can a scan be sent to any laboratory?

Yes. The standard format (STL) is readable by any modern laboratory. deltalabs. accepts scans from any scanner.

Will a digital scan lose accuracy when sent by email?

No. A computer file does not deform. Data retention is 100%.