Breakthrough All-on-X Dental Implants: How IPG Scanners Can Help?

All-on-X is an advanced technique that uses a set number of implants to support a full-arch restoration, suitable for edentulous patients or those with severe tooth loss. Here, “X” refers to the number of dental implants, which can be 4, 6, or more.

All-on-X dental implants can efficiently restore chewing function, but they demand extremely high precision. Minor deviations in implant angle, depth, or position can affect passive fit, causing complications or even implant failure.  

How to address the challenges of All-on-X dental implants? SHINING 3D DENTAL proposes combining intraoral photogrammetry (IPG) technology and has developed the world’s first IPG intraoral scanner. How does it solve the challenges of All-on-X therapy? Keep reading to learn more.

Challenge 1: Multi-Implant Positioning Accuracy

All-on-X therapy typically uses 4-6 implants, inserted at different angles to optimize bone utilization. Taking All-on-4 as an example, two implants are vertically placed into the alveolar bone to ensure a stable foundation, while the other two are tilted to enhance load-bearing capacity.

Thus, even minor errors during scanning, design, printing, or milling can be magnified during the fixed bridge installation, preventing it from naturally fitting the implants and creating stress between the dental bridge and the implants. Traditional impression techniques rely on physical molds, which are prone to data distortion due to material shrinkage, deformation, or operational errors.

This is where SHINING 3D DENTAL’s IPG intraoral scanners come into play. They feature:

• · 5μm scanning accuracy, precisely calculating implant position and angle.
• · Advanced image processing algorithms and real-time tracking technology enable the precise positioning of multiple implants in a single scan to minimize error accumulation.
• · Cap scanbodies and coded scanbodies coordination, allowing the IPG intraoral scanner to capture subtle soft tissue features even in blood- and saliva-rich oral environments.

With IPG scanners, the success rate of All-on-X dental implants is significantly increased. This enhances patient satisfaction and helps strengthen the clinic’s reputation.

Challenge 2: Time Pressure for Immediate Loading

In All-on-X implants treatments, patients require approximately 5 follow-up visits, including initial consultation, preparation, implant surgery, temporary prosthesis installation, and final restoration. Among these steps, the fabrication of traditional temporary prosthesis requires several days or even longer. For patients seeking immediate loading, prolonged waiting in an edentulous state affects chewing function, aesthetics, and quality of life.

IPG intraoral scanner significantly reduces treatment time through a rapid digital workflow:

• · High-precision intraoral scanning can capture full-arch dental implants data in minutes, eliminating the waiting time for material setting required in traditional impressions.
• · Scan data can be directly transmitted to CAD/CAM systems. As a result, dentists can perform chairside design and directly 3D print temporary dentures, allowing patients to receive their teeth on the same day.
• · The number of follow-up visits is significantly reduced, and patients no longer need to worry about extended treatment time due to fabrication errors.

The efficiency of dental photogrammetry compensates for the time pressure of immediate loading in All-on-X dental implants. Plus, early loading can stimulate the jawbone, reduce alveolar bone degradation, and maintain gingival morphology.

Challenge 3: Patient Discomfort During Visits

When it comes to dental implants, many patients feel frightened. This primarily stems from oral irritation caused by traditional impressions. These materials can cause mechanical irritation to the oral mucosa, triggering reactions such as nausea and vomiting. For patients with strong gag reflexes, the long waiting time during impression exacerbates this discomfort.

If the dental model becomes deformed or deviates, patients may need to repeatedly visit the clinic for multiple try-ins and adjustments, significantly impacting their satisfaction. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a comfortable and pressure-free impression solution.

SHINING 3D DENTAL’s IPG intraoral scanner addresses this issue through non-contact scanning:

• · The appropriately sized scanning tip operates quickly and precisely without any discomfort.
• · Full-arch data can be obtained in just minutes. No need to open the mouth for a long time.
• · Scanning is completed in one go. Patients can directly see the oral model, which enhances their trust in the clinic.

The IPG scanner’s improvements in comfort for All-on-X dental implants are a boon for edentulous patients. Not only does it reduce discomfort during treatment, but it also alleviates the psychological stress caused by lengthy procedures.

Challenge 4: Multi-Step Workflow with High Communication Costs

In addition to the above challenges, traditional All-on-X implant procedures involve multiple steps requiring frequent communication between dentists and dental laboratories. These include a custom tray, verification jig, seat the verification segments, jig connection, final impression, oral scan, CAD/CAM design, and ultimately restoration delivery. All require manual operations by lab technicians.

To minimize errors, prostheses may require multiple adjustments, necessitating constant communication between dentists and technicians. The cumbersome workflow prolongs patients’ treatment timelines and reduces clinic efficiency.

However, SHINING 3D DENTAL’s IPG intraoral scanner streamlines the entire process into just three steps: digital impression, design and fabrication, and restoration delivery. It facilitates:

• · One-time data acquisition.
• · Immediate transfer of scan data to CAD/CAM systems without intermediate steps.
• · Chairside rapid fabrication, when combined with dental 3D printers.

This fully digital workflow revolutionizes the All-on-X dental implants. Dentists can handle more cases per day, labs increase production capacity, and patients enjoy shorter treatment cycles. The IPG scanner transforms traditional “fragmented” All-on-X workflows into an efficient closed-loop system, becoming a true game-changer in intraoral scanning efficiency.

Invest in IPG Intraoral Scanners for Your Clinic

Facing the challenges of complex procedures like All-on-X dental implants, SHINING 3D DENTAL‘s IPG intraoral scanners, including Aoralscan Elite and Aoralscan Elite Wireless, are the ultimate tools for dental clinics to transform their digital workflows.

With micron-level precision and digital workflow, IPG technology simplifies traditionally cumbersome processes. The intuitive digital oral models significantly enhance the predictability of implant surgeries and patient experience. Whether it’s multi-implant positioning, immediate loading requirements, reducing patient discomfort, or optimizing collaboration, our Aoralscan Elite series delivers outstanding performance to help doctors overcome clinical challenges.

Additionally, as a non-contact scanner with structured light and intraoral photogrammetry, while precisely measuring implant positions in edentulous cases, it also functions as a standard intraoral scanner (IOS) capable of handling dentate cases.

Contact us now to learn more about the Aoralscan Elite series!