ANSWERS

What is an intraoral scanner used for?

An intraoral scanner is a handheld optical device dentists use to capture a 3D digital impression of the teeth, gums, and bite in under five minutes, replacing PVS or alginate trays. The STL or PLY file routes directly to the lab for crown, bridge, implant abutment, surgical guide, clear aligner, and full-arch resto...

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Why it works this way

What the scanner actually captures

An intraoral scanner (iTero, 3Shape TRIOS, Medit i700, Primescan, Aoralscan) projects structured light or laser onto the dentition and stitches thousands of frames per second into a full-arch 3D mesh. The output is an STL, PLY, or proprietary file (such as 3Shape DCM) that records tooth morphology, soft-tissue contour, and occlusal relationship to roughly 20-50 microns of accuracy, well inside the 100-micron threshold most ceramic restorations need for marginal fit.

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Does Dani Dental accept files from any intraoral scanner?

Yes. Dani Dental accepts STL, PLY, and native files from iTero, 3Shape TRIOS, Medit i700, Primescan, Aoralscan, Carestream, and Emerald scanners. There is no proprietary file lock-in and no preferred-scanner surcharge. Cases are uploaded through the Dani Dental portal or sent via the scanner manufacturer's cloud connection. The CAD technician confirms file integrity, margin clarity, and scan-body fit (on implant cases) within the same business day of upload, and flags any rescan requirements before design begins.

How accurate does an intraoral scan need to be for a crown to seat?

Marginal fit for a well-fitting ceramic crown generally requires accuracy inside 100 microns, and most current intraoral scanners deliver 20-50 microns across a full arch. The bigger risks are scan technique problems: unclear margins under bleeding tissue, missing scan-body data on implant cases, or distortion across long edentulous spans. Dani Dental's CAD team reviews every scan for margin definition before milling, and contacts the practice directly if a rescan of a specific segment will improve the final restoration fit.

Can intraoral scans be used for full-arch implant cases like All-on-X?

Yes, with the caveat that full-arch implant scans require scan bodies and a verification protocol. Dani Dental's digital workflow for All-on-X cases combines the intraoral scan of scan bodies, a photogrammetry verification (when the referring practice has access), and a CBCT overlay to confirm implant positions before designing the prosthetic. For practices without photogrammetry, a verified PVS pickup impression remains the recommended path on full-arch cases to protect passive fit on the final bar or bridge.

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