We take the records for braces, aligners, and retainers with an iTero® intraoral scanner. It is a small handheld wand that photographs the surfaces of your teeth and builds an accurate three-dimensional model on screen in a few minutes.
That model is what your appliances are manufactured from, so how good it is determines how well they fit.
What Actually Changes
Accuracy you can verify on the spot. A physical impressions can distort while it sets, while it is removed, and while it travels to a lab. Nobody finds out until the appliance does not fit. A scan is checked immediately, and any section that captured poorly is rescanned in seconds rather than discovered a two weeks later.
Fit, which is the point. Aligners work by applying planned force through precise contact with each tooth. If the model is off, the aligner is off, and the tooth does not track the way the plan assumed. The same applies to retainers, which have to hold a result rather than create one.
A picture instead of a description. The model appears on screen while you are in the chair, so we can show you your own bite from angles you have never seen, point at the specific tooth we are talking about, and demonstrate the projected movement rather than describe it. Conversations about trade-offs get considerably more concrete when both people are looking at the same thing.
Records that do not degrade. Digital models are stored, so we can compare where a tooth was six months ago against where it is now, and a retainer can be remade later from the original scan without taking new records.
What the Scan Is Like
You sit in a normal chair with your mouth open while the wand passes over your teeth. It does not go far back, nothing sets in your mouth, and there is nothing to bite into or hold still for.
It takes a few minutes, you can pause at any point, and you can swallow normally throughout. Most patients find it quick and comfortable.
Children generally handle it better than adults expect, largely because there is nothing to endure and nothing to hold still for. If a child finds the wand awkward, we stop and restart rather than pushing on.
Where Scanning Is Used
Digital records are used across most of what we do: Invisalign® aligner fabrication, retainer manufacture including replacements, appliance design for expanders and space maintainers, treatment planning and progress comparison, and coordination with your dentist or an oral surgeon when a case involves both.
Book a Free Exam and Scan
The consultation is free, takes about 45 minutes, and includes a scan. You will see your own teeth on screen and leave knowing what treatment would involve.
Call or text (845) 471-1186, or request an appointment online. We are at 1145 Route 55, Suite 1 in LaGrangeville.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a digital scan and a traditional impression?
A traditional impression uses a tray of setting material pressed against the teeth to create a physical mould. A digital scan uses a camera to build a three-dimensional model directly, with nothing setting in your mouth and no physical model to distort or be shipped.
Are digital impressions more accurate?
For appliance fabrication, generally yes. The larger practical gain is that errors are caught immediately and rescanned, rather than surfacing when an appliance arrives and does not fit.
Does the scan make you gag?
It is far less likely to cause a gag reflex than a tray of impression material, because nothing fills your mouth and you can breathe and swallow normally throughout. Patients with a strong gag reflex generally manage a scan comfortably, and we can pause whenever you need.
How long does a scan take?
A few minutes for a full set of records. Some cases are quicker; a very detailed scan takes a little longer.
Can I see what my teeth will look like afterward?
You can see the model of your teeth as they are now, and we walk through the planned movement on screen. Projected outcomes are a planning tool rather than a promise, and we will be clear about which is which.