Dr. Hanna Mansoor is a dentist and clinic owner from Arizona who has made the switch to digital dentistry a while ago. Medit sat down for an interview with her to find out how general dentists can benefit from incorporating the digital workflow, as well as what advantages are there with regard to patient care, specific applications, and overall case management.
Earlier this year you were on the cover of Dental Product Shopper as an early adopter of the Medit i500 intraoral scanner. How did you transition into digital dentistry?
I was looking for a scanner that was fast, easy to use and able to capture all the necessary details. I wanted a system which provides great accuracy, and a user-friendly accompanying software which would allow for fuss-free exports. So, I evaluated the different options before deciding which one would be best for my clinic.
How has your practice profited from making the switch to a digital workflow?
With the proper technique, scans are very fast, so they really help us to save time. We have also been able to reduce our expenses because we don’t need to purchase materials otherwise necessary for traditional impressions when using the digital method.
In addition, retakes have been reduced drastically. With digital impressions you can always zoom in and check the details. If there is any distortion due to blood, saliva, or soft tissue, you can reverse steps or delete parts of a scan without having to repeat the entire scanning process.
Aside from the scanner, we are also using the Medit Link software in order to manage our workflow and orders. Once a scan is completed it is uploaded onto the integrated cloud storage of the platform. This is very convenient as it allows us to scan cases directly to our labs for all use cases, including full-arch scans for clear aligners or implant surgical guides.
You began your career in dentistry as a dental hygienist, so you must understand the importance of connecting with patients in order to make them feel comfortable and reduce their nervousness and tension. In what ways do you find that intraoral scanning has supported this?
Our patients are often impressed by the technology. It is pain-free, and we can visually communicate their cases to them easily. Intraoral scanning is simply more comfortable for patients, especially for those with a strong gag reflex. Classic impression methods are often the cause for discomfort. The i500 in particular has a small, round tip and the wand is easy to maneuver, which further guarantees patient comfort.
Has there been an interesting case recently with regard to intraoral scanning that you would like to share with us?
Lately we have been using it to scan full arches for clear aligner cases and creating surgical guides for implant placement. We have also been working with digital smile design software a lot recently to design and fabricate a digital smile from my digital scans and create a mock-up of the patient’s ideal smile according to his lips and other muscle structures which allows us to give the patient a beautiful natural smile.
What would you like to tell dentists and clinics that are still hesitating to make the transition into digital dentistry?
Just do it! It’s a bit of a learning curve but totally worth it. It’s the future of dentistry!
We would like to thank Dr. Mansoor for taking the time to share her experience and expertise. If you want to learn more about the Medit i500 and Medit Link, visit our product pages!
GET YOUR MEDIT i500About Dr. Hannah Mansoor
Dr. Mansoor is the owner of the practice Smiles by Hanna and focuses on conservative holistic dentistry as well as specialized services such as implants, lasers, digital smile designs and sleep dentistry. She is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, a Master of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and Implants Masters from giDe institute. She is a member of the ADA, Pierre Fauchard Academy, and the Arizona Dental Association.