A Clinician's Guide to Modern Digital Impressions for the Edentulous Ridge Achieving a precise digital impression of an edentulous arch is foundational for successful implant prosthetics. This presentation demystifies four contemporary scanning protocols, highlighting their clinical rationale and application. We focus on the critical shift from direct tissue scanning to implant-level capture for definitive accuracy.
The Speakers
3
Islam M. Heiba
Lecturer
Abdelrahman Alaa
Teaching Assistant
Marwa Sabet
Professor
Sponsored by:
Course Topics
- Techniques at a Glance:
- 1- Intraoral Scanning (IOS) with vertical Scanbodies: The most accessible digital method, ideal for capturing scanbodies but challenged by large, featureless spans.
- 2- Photogrammetry (e.g., TRUScan/Medit): A high-accuracy standard for full-arch cases, using a camera to triangulate the 3D position of coded markers on implants, independent of the soft tissue.
- 3- T-Marker System: An evolution in photogrammetry utilizing single-use, adhesive markers and an iPad camera, aiming for greater accessibility.
- 4- Conventional Impression with Ti- scan: The traditional analog benchmark, where a physical impression is poured and scanned by the laboratory scanner or intraoral scanner.
- Core Insight: For edentulous cases, the choice hinges on the required level of prosthetic fit. While IOS is excellent for single units, evidence shows photogrammetry systems offer superior trueness for passive-fitting full-arch frameworks. Systems like Ti-Scan integrate T-Markers with a dedicated camera, creating a streamlined digital workflow that bypasses the stitching errors possible with IOS in edentulous ridges.