Introducing... the Intra Oral Scanner!

It is truly amazing how far we have come with gadgets and gizmos in the modern age. I’m constantly seeing fancy new cell phones out each week, new ipads and ipods that seem to get smaller and smarter, nooks and laptops and well you get the point… but have you ever wondered what’s new with technology in the orthodontic field? I know what you’re thinking, headgear, metal braces, boring teeth tools; I tend to think of that as well.
What you don’t know is- right now in the world of teeth technology there is a brand new invention called the Intraoral Scanner. Sounds fancy right? Every day teens and adults get Invisalign for their teeth in order to perfect their smile without having to wear hideous brackets.
Back in the day, doctors used a goopy clay molding to make an impression of your mouth (yuck), well not anymore!
The IntraOral Scanner is a small handheld scanner that uses laser and optic scanning to capture 3-D images of your teeth with not only precision but also accuracy. The images are able to capture surfaces and contours in the teeth and gums. Completely safe and painless, the scanner costs as much as a nice car! Scanning can take up to about 30 minutes, depending on the patient. After the scanning has taken place, the machine is then able to transfer all of the images to Invisalign where they approve them. Followed by a thorough check by your doctor, the aligners are ready in about a few short weeks.

As you can see in the picture above, I was lucky enough to have used the scanner for my invisalign. It was completely painless. Aside from keeping my mouth open the whole time, the experience wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be! My mouth was kept dry for the scanner to take accurate pictures, which may seem uncomfortable but the minute I saw my teeth pop up on the computer screen I forgot all about any discomforts. You become so distracted and intrigued by the different angles of your teeth that before you know it, the whole scanning process is over with!