Quick Answer: What Is iTero Digital Scanning?

A digital scan does not by itself determine whether clear aligners are suitable for you. Our team still needs to assess your tooth alignment, bite, oral health and individual treatment needs before determining whether clear aligners may be appropriate.

How Does iTero Scanning Fit Into Clear Aligner Treatment?

Digital scanning is one part of the overall clear aligner journey. At BestSmile Dental Clinic, we use digital records alongside our clinical assessment and other relevant information when considering and planning clear aligner care.

A typical clear aligner journey at our clinic may include:

For more information about the treatment itself, explore clear aligners at BestSmile Dental Clinic.

What Happens During an iTero Digital Scan?

During an iTero scan, we use a handheld intraoral scanner inside your mouth to capture digital information that is used to build a 3D representation of your teeth. This provides our team with a digital record that can be viewed on screen and incorporated into relevant treatment-planning workflows.

Instead of using impression material and a tray for this digital record, the scanner captures the information directly inside your mouth. As we scan different areas, the information is combined digitally to form a representation of your teeth.

The digital model also provides a visual reference that we can use when discussing your teeth and proposed treatment with you.

Digital Scans vs Traditional Dental Impressions

Digital scanning and traditional impressions are two ways of obtaining dental records for relevant workflows. Digital scanning provides a digital 3D representation, while traditional impressions use impression material to produce a physical record.

Neither method should automatically be viewed as appropriate for every situation. The technique used depends on the clinical requirements and intended workflow.

The practical advantage of digital scanning in an aligner workflow is therefore not simply that the technology is newer. It provides digital records that can be visualised, discussed and incorporated into relevant digital planning processes.

What Can Our Dentists Learn From a Digital Scan?

An iTero scan gives our dentists a 3D digital representation of the teeth captured during scanning. This can help our team visualise and discuss your tooth alignment and relevant dental structures represented in the scan.

For clear aligner planning, this information can contribute to our assessment of how your teeth are currently positioned and provide records for relevant digital workflows.

Importantly, the scanner does not decide which treatment is right for you. At our clinic, the scan provides digital information that our dentists consider alongside your clinical examination, bite assessment and other relevant records when planning treatment.

If you would like to understand how iTero fits alongside other technology used at our clinic, explore our digital dental technology.

Can You See a Preview of Your Potential Smile?

Digital treatment-planning tools may allow you to view a simulation of potential tooth movement or a possible treatment outcome. This can make aspects of the proposed treatment easier to visualise and discuss with our team.

We can use a simulation as a communication tool to provide a visual reference when discussing how clear aligner treatment may be planned.

Does an iTero Scan Mean You Are Suitable for Clear Aligners?

No. Having an iTero digital scan does not automatically mean clear aligners are suitable for you. The scanner provides useful digital records, but treatment suitability remains a clinical decision.

When assessing clear aligner suitability, our team may consider factors such as:

Some orthodontic concerns may be suitable for clear aligner treatment, while others may require a different approach or additional management. Our assessment allows us to explain the options relevant to your individual situation.

What Happens After Your Digital Scan?

The digital scan is not the end of the assessment or the start of treatment by itself. Once we have collected the relevant records, our dental team reviews them together with the clinical findings to determine the appropriate next steps.

If clear aligners are considered suitable, we can use the digital records as part of treatment planning and the development of your personalised aligner plan. We explain the proposed treatment, relevant considerations and what will be expected from you before treatment proceeds.

Regular monitoring remains important because clear aligner treatment involves actual tooth movement, not simply following a digital simulation. Through follow-up appointments, our team can assess your progress and advise you on the next stage of care.