Innovative 3D digital oral scanning to benefit patients at York Hospital
13 MARCH 2023
Thanks to your donations, funding has been provided to purchase an innovative 3D digital intra-oral scanner to take digital scans of patients’ teeth and surrounding structures.
This new method of scanning will replace traditional paste impressions, improving the experience for oral cancer patients.
These scans can also be transmitted electronically to produce a 3D printed version of the teeth, a much faster process than traditional impression appointments.
David Seymour, Consultant in Oral Rehab, said:
"Our patients often have surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy to treat oral cancer. As part of this process, they often lose teeth, bones and can have holes in their mouth which communicate with their nose. They can face a lengthy rehabilitation journey, often requiring implants or intra-oral prostheses."
"A digital impression is more accurate and requires no physical impressions. A small camera is waved around a patient’s mouth, providing a digital impression, which is then 3D printed. This pathway is faster, more efficient, cheaper in the long run and better for the environment."
The digital impressions are currently being 3D printed off-site; however, a new printer based at York Hospital will be used later this year.
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