Role of Intraoral Scanners in Pediatric Dentistry

Intraoral Scanners (IOS) are devices which are used for capturing direct optical impressions in dentistry. They are handheld devices used to directly create digital impression data of the oral cavity. Light source from the scanner is projected onto the scan objects, such as full dental arches, and then a 3D model processed by the scanning software will be displayed in real-time on a touch screen. Pediatric dental patients requiring dental prostheses is considered the most challenging for dental professionals owing to managing the children’s behavioural problems, gagging reflex, foreign body aspiration, and choking (breathing) concerns. The conventional impression-making procedures in young children are regarded as quite cumbersome and difficult due to several clinical factors in dentistry. Pediatric dentistry is evolving to minimise the disadvantages of traditional techniques by introducing advanced digital intraoral scanners in the field of pediatric dentistry. Thus this paper reviews the application of intraoral scanners in pediatric dentistry.