Implant dentistry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in dentistry.  More and more dentists are perfecting their part in digital scans, and this is moving them to expand their scans to dental implant cases as well.  With the introduction of scan bodies in 2010, using intraoral scanning for implant cases is more efficient, and the results are reliable.  Of course, Burbank Dental Lab has been using digital processes to fabricate implant cases from when the technology first became available, making Burbank leaders in this area.

Best practices when deciding to go digital for implant restorations are:

• Start with small single unit cases and stay away from large multi-unit cases.
• Call to discuss the use of scan bodies. The type of scan body used will affect the price, restorative options, and turnaround time.
• Use the three scan method to create a virtual replication with the correct articulation.
  • Tissue scan
  • Scan Body
  • Antagonist
• Check the scan body regularly to ensure it is in good condition.

Of course, with an aging population, the number of edentulous or partially edentulous patients continues to rise.  With restorative options available such as implant-supported fixed prosthesis, the need to manage larger, more difficult implant cases increases. In multi-unit implant cases, the more implants involved in the case, the more likely the precision of the impression will decrease. This issue is due largely to the accuracy limitations of intraoral scanners in large implant cases.

Burbank Dental Lab is a strong supporter of the advantages of complete digital workflows. We have encountered the downside of these types of cases, which has only created strong research on our part to overcome the multi-unit scan issue.

This problem has led Burbank Dental Lab to invest in the groundbreaking technology of IMetric4d’s ICam4d extraoral scanner.  For these types of cases, a Burbank Dental Lab implant scan specialist will make a trip to the dental office on the day of implant placement, and take a special photogrammetric scan with the ICam4d using special scan bodies (ICambodies) to capture the exact position of the implants within an accuracy of 10 to 15 microns. The clinician then scans the soft tissue, and the two scans are aligned, resulting in a high precision dental model that is identical to the patient's mouth. Now, a fixed prosthesis can be manufactured from this precise scan ensuring a passive fit. Currently, Burbank Dental Lab offers this service within the following area codes: