The dual scan protocol: tips and tricks

The Following Items Are Needed For A Successful Scan:

• Patient’s existing denture, duplicate denture or clear acrylic scanning appliance.
• No metal components (e.g. wire mesh/plate, metallic crown or wire clasps).
• SureMark CT Scan Markers: 6-8 radiopaque (non-metallic) glass beaded-stickers.
• FutarBite Registration: radiolucent bite index.

Preparation For Dual Scan

• Start with a clear acrylic scanning appliance or well-fitted denture with low radiopacity to avoid scatter.
• Check stability and fit (i.e. full palatal coverage, sulcus full depth is reached).
• Do a hard reline if necessary (recommended).
• Dry appliance before sticking on the markers so that they don’t move.
• Mark appliance with 6-8 markers for partial or full-arch appliance.
• Cut the markers if necessary so that they fit.
• Place markers randomly but make sure there are none on the soft tissue surface.

Prosthesis Scan

• Position the appliance as it sits in the patient’s mouth on a foam or styrofoam block.
• Scan the appliance at 80KVP and 2ma if you’re using a Carestream unit. On any other unit, continue to use patient morphology.
• Confirm that all markers are clearly visible in the scan.

Patient Scan

• Prepare a bite registration with full-arch appliance to ensure proper seating.
• Use normal implant planning protocols and the largest field of view.
• Ask the patient to bite firmly on the bite registration to blanch the gums.
• Confirm that all markers are clearly visible and the appliance is seated properly. 

Dual Scan Tips & Tricks

Remember that the tissue-supported guide will fit on the patient’s mucosa exactly how the denture fits in the mouth at the time of scanning. This means that a better fitting denture will lead to a more accurately seated surgical guide.