The Application of Intraoral Scanners to Special Needs Dentistry
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Interviews of clinicians working within Special Care Dentistry (SCD) will be held to determine which patient types, if any, may benefit from new digital technology which may be a better alternative to conventional impression taking for some patients.
IRAS ID
238838
Contact name
Robert Williams
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 4 days
Research summary
Will some patients with special needs adapt well to digital dental impression taking?
Obtaining a good quality dental impression (mould) of the patient’s teeth and gums is the first stage for many dental treatments. However, for patients who have special needs the conventional method, using a tray and impression material, has higher levels of difficulty and risk and impression quality is often severely compromised.
An alternative method to conventional impressions is taking a digital scan of the teeth and gums with an intraoral scanner (IOS). The use of this technology for some patients may help meet clinical guidelines as the patient can sit in an upright position and request rest periods throughout. The elimination of impression material would help reduce the risk of choking and aspirating, thus potentially improving the safety of some patients.
This study aims to explore which impression technique may be most applicable for which patients by interviewing appropriate clinicians within the Health Board. To participate in the study clinicians will have the necessary experience of treating a variety of patients needing special care.
REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A