Digital Impressions in Implant Dentistry

Digital impression systems in implant dentistry are growing in popularity as it may simplify the impression procedure, increase accuracy, decrease chair-time and enable digital integration with dental laboratories. Digital impressions eliminate the technique sensitivity and patient discomfort of using impression materials, and the 3D digital models create highly accurate and detailed restorations. Captured using safe, non-invasive imaging technologies, digital impressions are available for a range of restorative procedures. The images produced are ready almost instantly and can be sent directly to a dental lab or to a chairside CAD/CAM system without the need to pour a model or pay for shipping. Limitations of this type of impression are the additional cost of purchasing an intraoral scanner and the learning curve for adjusting to the new technology. The aim of this literature review was to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of using digital impression systems in implant dentistry. Keywords: digital impression, marginal fit, internal fit, dimensional accuracy, fixed dental prosthesis, implant dentistry