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Technological Advances by Dr. Whitney White

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Categories: Prosthodontics;
Technological Advances 

Using digital dentistry to provide the most reliable patient outcomes

by Dr. Whitney White

Before I transitioned from analog to digital dentistry, I really wasn’t excited about dentures. From the scheduling of multiple appointments to the nerve-wracking wax try-in appointments, dentures could be a long process as a clinician and for my patients.

That all changed when I opened my Las Vegas practice and decided to embrace a fully digital office. At first, the switch was intimidating, but I committed to learning the technology and teaching my team as well.

Now after working within a fully digital office, I can’t imagine going back to analog. In fact, dentures are now one of my favorite procedures, thanks to the new technology my team and I are equipped with.

Digital dentistry has completely changed how I present treatment plans to patients, and making the jump to this new way of doing things is not only doable, but incredibly rewarding.


One step at a time
Before I opened my fully digital practice, my first experience with digital dentistry started with an intraoral scanner. In the beginning, I used a 3Shape Trios 5 wireless scanner to help educate patients about their oral health as well as for clear aligner treatment. The scanner allowed patients to see what was going on in their mouths, which made it easier for me to show them why I was recommending certain treatments.

As I saw the benefits of incorporating the scanner into my patient exams, I wanted to use it as much as possible. I took baby steps, starting with just using it for crowns. The larger the area you’re scanning, the more difficult it can be, so taking things slow was key for me. When I got comfortable with crowns, I moved on to using the scanner for partial dentures, then I made the final leap into complete digital dentures with a 3-D printer. To help my team get comfortable with scanners, we all practiced on each other, over and over, until we had our scanning strategy down and it became routine.

Learning to practice digital dentistry requires time and commitment, but it is completely worth it. I set aside two weeks to take Eric Kukucka’s digital dentistry curriculum via Aspen Dental’s TAG University so I could fully immerse myself. I learned and practiced with the technology so I could easily teach my team and explain digital dentistry to my patients, as well. While taking the time to understand the ins and outs of digital dentistry can be the biggest hurdle, seeing the outcomes I could achieve made that commitment easy and gratifying.

Since embracing digital dentistry, I’ve implemented a “no scan, no exam” policy with my patients that has helped me provide the best possible, state-of-the-art care. Every new patient gets an oral scan, which allows them to visualize what’s going on in their mouths. In fact, many of them can even see the problems before I point them out—and seeing is believing, after all.


Better patient outcomes
When patients can see the state of their mouths and identify the problems, they are more likely to want to fix the issues. Implementing intraoral scanning and digital dentistry at large has increased treatment acceptance among my patients, and they’re also more invested in both understanding their oral health and taking steps to remedy any problems.

In addition to helping me provide better education, digital dentistry is more convenient, comfortable and reliable. One example of how digital dentistry is changing the game is denture process. Let’s walk through a patient experience with dentures using both an analog and a digital approach.

For the first step of the analog process, we have to take alginate impressions, which isn’t a very comfortable experience for patients. The alginate is thick and sticky, and patients must sit still while, in many cases, trying not to gag. In comparison, with digital dentistry, all I have to do is scan the patient’s mouth. No alginate, no impressions, no mess, no discomfort.

After the impression or scan gets sent to the lab, the try-in appointment comes next. For analog dentures, this is a wax try-in. Patients have to be careful not to bite down too hard while test-driving their new smiles, to keep them from breaking the wax or popping the teeth out of the mold. If we’re lucky, patients like their new smiles and we can tell the lab to make the permanent version of those dentures for patients to pick up next appointment. If we’re unlucky, we have multiple additional wax try-in appointments until we get just the right look and feel.

Digital dentistry revolutionizes this process. For digital dentures, instead of a wax try-in appointment, we have functional try-ins. The digital dentures are printed in the real denture material instead of wax (Fig. 1), so patients can try them on and smile, bite, and talk normally to see how the dentures feel.
Digital Dentures Case
Fig. 1

Now that I make use of digital dentistry, the try-in appointment is my favorite one of all. I can go into the try-ins confident that the technology has produced the highest-quality, best-fitting result, removing any error-prone processes associated with analog (Figs. 2 and 3). Patients are more comfortable, have better outcomes and don’t have to waste time and energy coming back over and over into my office.
Digital Dentures Case
Fig. 2
Digital Dentures Case
Fig. 3


An additional benefit of digital dentures is the reproducibility. Especially in hospital or nursing home settings, dentures can be lost. If a patient loses their upper, lower or both dentures, we can quickly and perfectly reproduce their exact set of dentures based on the scans we have on file. While losing dentures isn’t fun, replacing them no longer has to be so time-consuming, inconvenient and unpredictable.


Case study: Replacing 50-year-old dentures
I recently treated a patient who came into my office with 50-year-old dentures. He lives in a retirement center and is unable to drive, so he could only come into my office for the brief period when his daughter was visiting and could provide transportation. His old dentures were no longer functioning, and he wasn’t able to easily chew. Additionally, he was on oxygen, which presented another obstacle.

With digital dentistry, I was able to scan the patient’s mouth quickly and easily (Figs. 4–6), show him and his daughter what was going on, and get the denture process started immediately (Fig. 7). I printed his new dentures within 24 hours, and when he came back the next day, he could have his functional try-in. He loved his new smile—we were able to fix everything that had been bothering him about his old dentures, and we did it in record time. He went home that day with a smile that had dramatically improved, both in terms of aesthetics and function. When I called to check in with him a few days later, he was thrilled to tell me that he’d even been able to eat steak again.
Digital Dentures Case
Fig. 4
Digital Dentures Case
Fig. 5
Digital Dentures Case
Fig. 6

Digital Dentures Case
Fig. 7

Without digital dentistry, it would have been very difficult for me to treat this patient, given his health, time and transportation limitations.


Worth the investment
Reliable, consistent outcomes for patients translate into more efficient workflows for clinicians. With digital dentistry, patient appointments are faster and easier, and patients don’t have to come in four or five times to get their denture fit just right. From a clinician’s perspective, I can also clear up my overflow dramatically and see more patients.

Going digital may seem like a huge investment, but I believe it’s absolutely worth it. The biggest hurdle is making the commitment: Once you decide to go for it, take the time to learn and master the technology. When you see the consistently good results digital dentistry can deliver, along with the increased efficiency, you won’t want to go back to analog either.

Author Bios
Dr. Whitney White Dr. Whitney White focuses on comprehensive general dental care and has extensive experience with fixed and removable prosthodontics, oral surgery including implants and more. White recently opened her first Aspen Dental practice as an owner in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her overall mission is to increase access to excellent dental care.
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