SCANNING AND PRINTING for PREVENTION
SOME SCANNING HISTORY
Like everyone in 2006 we had a tricky time. More than most, we were nearly bankrupted by our NHS administrators, and we had a lot of what we call White space. I then looked around for something that was slightly niche and I bought a Cerec Bluecam scanner. It was really difficult to use but a great advance on the Red scanner, but nowhere near as good as the Omni scanner. And nothing has improved quite so much as the software. These scanners are fantastic tools and great learning aids.
They have come down massively in price. You can even rent scanners which may be advantageous when you look how quickly the phones keep changing. This video shows some of the uses. Look on my Teeth4life YouTube channel and type in 3-D printed dentures, scanners. If you really want to see the future now, have a look at Wally.
I mainly used a milling machine with hybrid blocks and produced a wide range of restorations, including many Volkscrowns, inlays, veneers (labial and occlusal), and a number of bridges.
At the time, I never considered using my scanner for retainers or aligners, because scanning required excellent moisture control and only a light dusting of powder to achieve an accurate sectional scan.
Much of what I learned originally came from online training with an American dentist, James Klim. A lot of time manually changing the contact points, and the parameters. However, as technology improves, it easier now. For the most up-to-date guidance on modern scanning and 3D printing workflows, the resource below is one of the best digital dentistry resources available. Take the plunge now, for you and your patients.
Denture Scanning in Care Homes and Hospitals
A practical solution to one of the most common problems in gerodontology
Since retiring, I’ve become increasingly involved in gerodontology — and one issue comes up repeatedly in care homes and hospitals:
✅ Dentures get lost.
When they do, it causes distress for patients and families, affects eating and speech, and often leads to avoidable delays and costs.
Why denture scanning matters
I first tried scanning dentures using my phone. It was promising, but not yet accurate enough for reliable replacement. Phone scanning will improve — and may be good enough within the next five years.
For now, the best solution is already in many dental practices:
🦷 Intraoral scanners.
A smarter use of dental scanners
The scanners we normally use for teeth can also be used to scan dentures, creating a digital record so replacement is quicker and more predictable if a denture goes missing.
In many cases, dental nurses can scan extremely well, often achieving excellent accuracy with the right workflow and training.
This opens up a prevention-led service that could transform denture care:
Dentures can be scanned and stored digitally
Replacement becomes faster and less stressful
Care homes can be supported remotely
The dental team can add value without extra clinic appointments
Taking scanning to the patient
If the denture can’t come to us, we can take scanning to the patient — or support care homes with a managed workflow that reduces disruption and improves outcomes.
It’s a modern service using equipment that is often underused for large parts of the day.
My most successful video on this topic 🎥
The video below has been my most-watched dental video, which suggests it strikes a chord.
Under the video you’ll find:
✅ the description
✅ the time stamps (so you can jump to the key sections)
