Incorporating a facial scanner into the digital workflow: A dental technique

Area of Science:

• Digital dentistry and prosthodontics.
• 3D imaging technologies and virtual modeling.

Background:

• Optimizing prosthetic treatment planning requires integrating extraoral and intraoral clinical data into a virtual environment.
• Accurate digital representation of patient anatomy is crucial for predictable prosthetic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel digital workflow for superimposing 3D data from various sources.
• To demonstrate the clinical application of this integrated digital workflow in prosthetic treatment planning using a Digital bite device.

Main Methods:

• Acquisition of 3D data using an intraoral scanner, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), and a facial scanner.
• Superimposition of the acquired 3D datasets within a specialized software environment.
• Application of the integrated digital model with a Digital bite device for treatment simulation.

Main Results:

• Successful integration and superimposition of multi-source 3D data were achieved.
• The digital workflow facilitated a comprehensive virtual representation of patient anatomy and occlusion.
• Clinical application demonstrated the utility of the Digital bite device in conjunction with the superimposed models.

Conclusions:

• The described digital workflow enables effective transfer of clinical information to the virtual environment.
• This approach optimizes prosthetic treatment planning by providing accurate 3D virtual models.
• The integration of intraoral, CBCT, and facial scan data enhances the precision and predictability of digital prosthodontics.