Patients visiting Lincoln County Hospital for orthodontic, jaw surgery and dental reconstructive work may now be treated using a new scanner and other pieces of equipment that will remove the need for traditional dental impressions to be taken.
Previously, patients may have needed several visits for consultations, moulds to be taken of their teeth, a cast to be made using plaster and then further visits for any corrective procedures to be taken.
Katie O’Dwyer, an orthodontic technician, has worked at the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 24 years. She said, “Anyone who has had to have an impression taken of the inside of their mouth will know how it is not a pleasant experience, but they will go through it in order to get the treatment and care they need.”
The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity has funded a 3D scanner, which means traditional impressions may no longer be needed. The scanner connects to a 3D printer, which can then print a 3D model.
Katie added, “The great news is that with our new state-of-the-art scanner we will no longer need all of the impressions and plaster to be able to create a cast. We will simply have the scan and then send it to the 3D printer and within the hour we will have a perfectly detailed dental model in our hands.”
The digital software enables the surgical planning for jaw surgery to be completed within 25 minutes, in comparison to the days it did take the team to do this on plaster models.
The charity has also funded another scanner so that all the existing models that are still needed for patients can be taken out of storage, scanned and kept as a digital record.
Ben Petts, charity manager, said, “All of this new equipment has cost just over £50,000. But when you consider the enhanced level of care that it will provide, as well as the time it will save and the improved patient experience, it is brilliant for everyone involved.”
The team hope that once all the existing models have been scanned and added to the digital records the current storage area could become an additional clinical area.
Paul O’Malley, a consultant orthodontist, said, “This is absolutely brilliant. As well as improving patient experience, it will also mean that whichever hospital site we are at, we will always be able to access all of the information we need without having to transport the models between hospitals.
“It will save time, money and most importantly it will be so much better for our patients.
He concluded, “We are so grateful to the charity for their support, it is going to make a real difference for our patients and the enhanced care that we are going to be able to provide.”