3D scanning possibilities in modern dentistry

BACKGROUND: Modern dentistry is not without advanced technologies, and intraoral scanning is becoming an increasingly important element of diagnosis and treatment. This technology is constantly evolving, offering new possibilities. The fundamental principles underlying the functionality of the intraoral scanner are light-measuring technology and photogrammetry. Light-emitting diodes integrated into the scanner body emit light onto the surface of the teeth, and sensors subsequently record the reflected signals, thereby creating an accurate three-dimensional model. The data is then processed by software that generates detailed digital models of the patient's jaws that are compatible with 3D CT data [1].

AIM: The study aimed to assess the potential of three-dimensional scanning for the planning and implementation of a single-stage dental implant protocol.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patient M., aged 41, presented to the dental clinic with complaints of a fractured tooth on the upper jaw (1.2). A decision was made to perform a single-stage implantation with the extraction of tooth 1.2 and the placement of a temporary crown based on the results of the examination. Intraoral scanning of the jaws was performed for the fabrication of the crown, as the cutting edge of the tooth was destroyed by two-thirds and the tooth fragment was lost. In order to create a model of the crown, the horizontal inversion technique was used. Tooth 2.2 was extracted from the scan of the upper jaw and inverted horizontally, resulting in a copy of tooth 1.2 in the expanded state. This was done to reproduce the exact shape of the future crown. The design of the crown was modeled in the program in conjunction with the loaded model of the temporary abutment (implant suprastructure for the fixation of the artificial crown). This approach enabled the accurate contour of the crown eruption and correct positioning relative to the gingival cuff and the abutment shaft to be obtained.

RESULTS: The implementation of the technique permitted the creation of an accurate and anatomically correct model of the crown of the replaced tooth without its introduction into occlusion, thereby reducing the risk of functional overload of the implant during the period of osseointegration (engraftment) [2]. The applied method enables the exclusion of the stage of crown correction at the moment of its fixation and the combination of 3D scans with data from computed tomography for the detailed planning of the surgery. Furthermore, the use of 3D scans permitted the visualization of the projected position of the future temporary crown, thereby enabling the precise positioning of the implant in an anatomically correct location.

CONCLUSIONS: This case study illustrates the efficacy of planning and implementing single-stage implantation with the aid of intraoral jaw scanning, as it reduces treatment duration, eliminates the necessity for implant loading, and ensures the attainment of a predictable treatment outcome. These technologies are currently being actively implemented in Russian dentistry, with new treatment options continually emerging.