COMPARISON OF DIGITAL AND CONVENTIONAL DENTAL IMPRESSION TECHNIQUES: PERSPECTIVES OF DENTAL PRACTITIONER AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION

Abstract

Background: As intraoral features are recorded using traditional impression materials, dental impressions are essential to regular diagnostic and therapeutic dental operations. Still, intraoral scanners (IOS) have become a viable substitute for pouring dental casts since they are quick, precise, and easy for patients to use instead of traditional impression processes.

Material and Method: Twenty-six dental students took each other's digital and conventional imprints for this investigation. They then responded to two different surveys expressing their expectations and preferences for the two strategies. In order to evaluate patient satisfaction between the two processes and compare the amount of time needed for digital vs traditional impressions, statistical analysis was done.
Result: The findings showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the amount of time needed for digital and traditional impressions, with digital impressions taking less time. Digital scans were also thought to be more comfortable by the patient than traditional impressions. Additionally, most participants believed that digital approaches will eventually completely replace conventional techniques, and they supported the inclusion of new technology in dentistry school curricula.
Conclusion: This study emphasises how digital impressions may be a good substitute for traditional methods in dental treatment. Digital scans have the advantage of quicker processing times and higher patient satisfaction, which emphasises their therapeutic value and points to a trend towards their wider implementation in the future. Furthermore, the participants' openness to using new technology highlights how crucial it is to incorporate these developments into dental school curricula in order to ready future practitioners for changing dental practices.