A cross-sectional study on improving clinical efficiency through centralized digital impression.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to explore the effect of improving clinical efficiency by replacing traditional impression workflow with centralized digital impression workflow.

Methods: The department of prosthodontics in Center of Stomatology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital has improved the clinical workflow by replacing the traditional impression made by doctors using impression materials for each patient with a centralized digital impression made by one technician for all patients in the department. This cross-sectional study recorded the chairside time required for impression taking in patients undergoing single posterior zirconia full crown restoration before clinical process improvement; the time required for centralized digital impression production; the comfort level of patients; and the adjacency relationship, occlusal contact relationship, and time required for prostheses adjusting (i.e., whether centralized digital impressions would compromise the quality of pro-stheses and increase the time of prostheses adjusting).

Results: The average time to make a traditional impression was (9.98±1.41) min, and the average time required for each patient to make a centralized digital impression was (5.98±1.49) min, which was shorter than that to used make a traditional impression (P<0.05). Centralized digital impression made patients feel more comfortable compared with traditional impression (P<0.05). The adjacency relationship of restorations by centralized digital impression was more appropriate (P<0.05), and no significant difference in occlusal relationship was found (P>0.05). The time required for adjusting prostheses also had no significant differences (P>0.05).

Conclusions: Centralized digital impression can improve clinical efficiency for patients undergoing single posterior zirconia crown restoration. The time for impression taking is shorter, and patients feel more comfortable without compromising the quality of the prostheses.