5 Common Intraoral Scanning Mistakes (And How to Correct Them on Your Next Scan)

Intraoral scanners (IOS) promised to eliminate gooey impression materials, gagging patients, and tedious remakes. But even with a top-tier scanner, a crown can still arrive from the lab sitting high, open at the contacts, or requiring frustrating chairside adjustments.

Why? Because digital impressioning is still a technique-sensitive skill. Small software stitching errors, obscured sightlines, or an errant drop of saliva can turn a three-minute scan into a costly remake.

The good news: Most fit issues stem from five easily correctable scanning habits. Here is how to spot these common mistakes and fix them before your patient leaves the chair.

1. Scanning Through Pooled Saliva & Blood

Light-based intraoral scanners cannot see through liquid. When light encounters pooled saliva, blood, or crevicular fluid, it refracts. The scanner software tries to interpret this optical distortion, resulting in "ghosting," artificial mesh thickness, or completely missed margins.

The Quick Fix:

• Master Isolation First: Treat digital scanning with the same isolation discipline as bonding. Use high-volume suction, cotton rolls, or isolation systems (e.g., Isolite or DryShield).

• The "Air Jet" Technique: Give the preparation and adjacent teeth a quick burst of air immediately before passing the wand over the area.

• Scan in Short Bursts: If a patient is a heavy salivator, dry the quadrant, scan the prep and contact zones first, and then sweep the rest of the arch.

2. Dropping Interproximal Contact Points

Few things derail a crown delivery like an open contact or a tight contact that requires ten minutes of grinding. Scanners often struggle to capture tight interdental spaces because the light source cannot penetrate straight down between two adjacent teeth.

The Quick Fix:

• Adopt the 45-Degree Roll: Do not keep the wand flat over the occlusal plane. Rock the scanner wand 45 degrees toward the buccal and 45 degrees toward the lingual over the contact area.

• Slow Down Over the Contact: Pause for a fraction of a second over the interproximal space to give the camera time to capture the mesial and distal walls of the adjacent teeth.

• Inspect the Mesh: Look for "holes" or transparent patches on adjacent tooth contact points before stopping the scan.

3. Overlooking Scan-Body Angulation & Seating

In implant prosthetics, accuracy is measured in microns. If an implant scan-body is not 100% seated, or if the camera fails to capture its flat orienting features cleanly, the CAD software will miscalculate the 3D position and rotation of the implant hex.

Crucial Tip: Scanning a scan-body with shadowed, smoothed-out edges will result in an abutment that sits rotated or out of occlusion.

The Quick Fix:

• Verify with an X-Ray: Always take a quick radiograph to confirm complete seating of the scan-body before scanning.

• Clean the Indexing Surface: Ensure no blood or saliva is pooling in the flat facets or dimples of the scan-body.

• Sweep from the Flat Surface: Begin the scan-body capture from the flat orienting side, sweeping smoothly over the top to the opposite side to maintain crisp geometric edges in the 3D model.

4. Inadequate Margin Exposure & Retraction

A scanner cannot predict what it cannot see. If gingival tissue collapses over your preparation margin, the software will attempt to stitch the soft tissue directly into the tooth structure, leaving the lab technician guessing where the margin ends.

The Quick Fix:

• Stick to Proven Tissue Management: Digital impressions do not eliminate the need for retraction. Use a double-cord technique, tissue retraction paste, or a diode laser for subgingival margins.

• Verify Margin Line Sharpness: Zoom in on the margin while the scan is on screen. If you cannot visually trace the margin 360 degrees with your own eyes, the lab software won't be able to either.

5. Hitting "Send" Without Reviewing in Monochrome

Color scans look impressive, but high-definition color textures can hide significant scanning flaws. Shadows, small holes, and distorted bite mesh often blend into natural tooth shades, tricking you into sending an imperfect model.

The Quick Fix:

• Switch to "Stone View": Toggle off the color overlay before finalizing the file. Inspect the prep and contacts in grey or stone mode to evaluate true surface geometry.

• Check the Occlusal Clearance: Always check the bite clearance map. If the software shows red (insufficient reduction), address it before taking off the rubber dam or releasing the patient.

Send Flawless Digital Impressions to Luxpro

Consistently great indirect restorations require a true partnership between clinician and laboratory. By refining your scanning technique, you significantly reduce remakes, save chair time, and ensure every crown drops in with minimal adjustments.

At LuxPro, we make integrating digital workflows into your practice seamless. Our lab integrates with major intraoral scanning systems—including 3Shape TRIOS, iTero, Medit, Primescan, and open STL/PLY platforms.

Ready to Streamline Your Digital Workflow?

• Direct Scanner Connection: Find Luxpro in your scanner’s laboratory directory or upload your STL files directly through our secure client portal.

• Real-Time Scan Audits: Our technical team evaluates incoming digital impressions to flag potential margin or bite discrepancies before production begins.

Submit Your Next Digital Impression to LuxPro or contact our technical support team to connect your scanner today.