Overview
Intraoral scanning has transformed single-unit and short-span implant workflows, but dental full arch implant cases remain challenging for digital impressions. Scanner accuracy degrades over long spans as registration errors accumulate, and the featureless geometry of dental scan bodies provides limited stitching references. Understanding both the capabilities and limitations of digital impressions enables appropriate application.
What You'll Need
- Intraoral scanner with dental implant workflow capability
- scan bodies compatible with your dental implant system
- scan body driver or insertion tool
- Calibrated scanner tip
- Anti-reflective scanning spray (if required by your system)
- Clean, dry operative field
Step-by-Step
Assess Scanner Suitability
Evaluate whether your scanner and clinical situation support accurate dental full arch implant scanning. Factors affecting accuracy include scanner technology, arch span, number of implants, and operator proficiency.
Select Appropriate dental scan bodies
Use dental scan bodies designed for your specific dental implant system and scanner combination. dental scan body geometry significantly impacts registration accuracy—larger bodies with distinct asymmetric features provide better software recognition.
Prepare the dental scan bodies
Clean dental scan bodies with isopropyl alcohol and inspect for scratches or damage. Some dental scan bodies require anti-reflective coating; apply evenly if indicated.
Seat dental scan bodies
Thread dental scan bodies onto each implant or multi-unit dental abutment. Hand-tighten, then apply recommended torque. Verify complete seating.
Establish Scanning Strategy
Plan your scanning path before beginning. dental full arch protocols typically recommend starting from one posterior quadrant, progressing through the anterior, and completing in the opposite posterior.
Capture Adjacent Anatomy First
Before scanning the dental scan bodies themselves, capture surrounding tissue and teeth. This provides the scanner's algorithm with geometric features for accurate registration.
Scan the Implant Region
Scan each dental scan body with its surrounding anatomy. Capture the full 360-degree geometry. Maintain overlap between scan regions for algorithm registration.
Evaluate Scan Quality
Review your scanning software's confidence maps or quality scores. Examine areas between distant implants particularly carefully—this is where cumulative error is greatest.
Consider Verification Requirements
Recognize that digital impressions of dental full arch implants carry inherent accuracy limitations. For cases demanding guaranteed passive fit, plan to verify digital accuracy with physical methods.
Tips & Best Practices
- Scan during sessions when the patient can maintain a stable, dry field
- Consider sectional scanning with fiducial markers for very long spans
- Compare scan data to previous records if available to identify gross errors
- Maintain scanner calibration according to manufacturer schedules
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overconfidence in digital accuracy
Current IOS technology has limitations for dental full arch spans. Understand your scanner's accuracy envelope.
Skipping physical verification
Digital scans can contain errors invisible in the data. Physical verification catches what software misses.
Using incompatible components
scan body-scanner combinations affect accuracy. Verify compatibility before clinical use.