Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | May 2012A6 Witnessingtheevolutionof digitalimpressionsolutions Since 1982, Dr. Svend Carlsen has used various differing intra-oral scan- ners for taking impressions digitally. The 3-D scanner company 3Shape spoke with Carlsen about develop- An interview with digital-scanning pioneer Dr. Svend W. Carlsen ments in digital impression systems and how technology can help dentists in their daily work. Following are some of Carlsen’s com- ments. How did you get started with digital im- aging? “It all started with a digital chairside solution, where we had both the tech- nology to digitally record the tooth and the milling equipment to manu- facture the crown. In the beginning, we were all very enthusiastic about the new technol- ogy, but we discovered that results lacked the required accuracy. We were forced to regard our ceramic inserts only as well-functioning mega-fillers. Since then I have been constantly searching for a digital system that could meet the accuracy challenge. How would you describe the status of that search today? A little over a year ago, I attended an event that included a demonstration of 3Shape’s TRIOS system. This experience renewed my be- lief that digital imprint technologies could, in fact, fulfill our needs. Today we use the 3Shape TRIOS sys- tem for most of our impressions in the clinic for single-tooth crowns and bridges. What do you demand of a reliable digital system? With most of the digital impression systems that I have used, there has been a need to make small corrections before the final crown could be placed in the patient's mouth. This should not be necessary. It is also now a great benefit to be able to view an enlarged image of the prepared tooth, with every detail clearly displayed. This enables you to identify and immediately correct ar- eas where the tooth preparation is not sufficiently smooth or sharp. This level of control means that only correct information is sent to the labo- ratory. It also provides effective con- trol of our own work. Patients are rather impressed that we can take an impression so quickly and so easily. I think that the high de- gree of control that dentists can dem- onstrate with the technology creates a greater sense of security for patients. Patients can follow their own treat- ment’s details on the screen and thus better understand what it entails. How does the new system compare to the earlier devices you have tried? Previously, you had to apply spray or powder on the teeth before you could scan. This was very annoying because it's hard to put an even layer of coating on the teeth — and an uneven layer would ruin scan precision. With previous sys- tems, it was also necessary to main- tain a completely steady hand while ” See CARLSEN, page A7 INduSTry NEWS Ad