Digital vs Traditional Impressions: Which Is Better for Your Practice?

Introduction#

The way dental impressions are taken has changed dramatically over the last decade. What was once a single standard process (alginate or PVS material, a tray, and a patient trying not to gag) now has a modern alternative in digital intraoral scanning. Both methods have their place. Understanding the differences between digital and traditional impressions helps you make smarter decisions for your practice, your patients, and your relationship with your dental lab.

What Are Traditional Impressions?#

Traditional impressions use a physical tray filled with alginate or PVS material pressed onto the teeth to capture their shape. The set impression is then shipped to the lab, where it is poured into a physical model.

Pros:

• Lower upfront cost, no scanner investment required
• Familiar workflow for experienced clinicians
• Works well for edentulous cases and complex full arch situations
• No technology learning curve

Cons:

• Patient discomfort: gagging, anxiety, and longer chair time
• Risk of distortion if the impression is not handled or stored correctly
• Longer turnaround: physical models need to be shipped to the lab
• More room for human error such as bubbles, tears, and poor margin capture

What Are Digital Impressions?#

Digital impressions use an intraoral scanner to capture a precise 3D image of the patient's teeth and soft tissue. That file is then sent directly to the lab digitally, with no physical model required.

At Laguna Dental Arts we are fully compatible with all major intraoral scanners including iTero, 3Shape TRIOS, Carestream, Planmeca, and Medit.

Pros:

• More comfortable patient experience, no trays or impression material
• Faster turnaround: digital files arrive at the lab instantly
• Higher accuracy: eliminates distortion from physical handling
• Cleaner communication: the lab sees exactly what you see
• Easier storage and retrieval: digital records do not take up physical space

Cons:

• Higher upfront investment: quality scanners can cost $20,000 to $50,000+
• Learning curve for the clinical team
• Can be challenging in certain cases such as very posterior teeth, heavy gag reflex patients, or cases requiring full arch analog workflows