Digital 3D impressions with no putty trays, planned by Dr. Nelly Silva for Invisalign, crowns and implant restorations.
The iTero Element is a handheld intraoral scanner that replaces the tray of impression putty.
A slim wand with a camera tip glides over your teeth and gums, capturing thousands of images with light rather than X-rays. Software stitches them into a full color 3D model of both arches and your bite, built on the screen beside your chair while we scan.
Dr. Silva can rotate and zoom that model to show you worn areas, gaps and bite issues, then send the same file to the dental lab or aligner team. Nothing is poured, shipped or left to set in your mouth.
How the iTero Element compares with the traditional mold most patients remember.
| What Matters | Putty Impression | iTero Element Scan |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort | A filled tray held in place while the material sets | A small wand moved over the teeth, with breaks whenever you need them |
| Gag reflex | Material can reach the back of the mouth | No material in the mouth at all |
| Checking the result | Flaws often show only after the mold is poured | Reviewed on screen, with gaps rescanned on the spot |
| Getting it to the lab | Physical mold packed and shipped | Digital file sent electronically |
| Seeing your teeth | You never see the impression | You see a 3D model of your own mouth |
Any treatment that needs an accurate copy of your teeth can begin with a digital scan. These are the ones Dr. Silva provides in our Collegeville office.
Your scan becomes the starting model for planning each aligner stage, so tooth movement is mapped from your real bite.
The lab designs your restoration from a precise digital copy of the prepared tooth and its neighbors.
Teeth, gums and bite are recorded together to plan the crown, bridge or denture that sits on your implants.
Oral appliances for sleep apnea are custom fitted, and an accurate model of both arches helps shape them.
A digital scan also suits patients with a strong gag reflex, dental anxiety or jaw discomfort who find holding a tray difficult.
Your teeth are gently dried, since a dry surface gives the camera a clearer view. No numbing is needed.
The wand moves over the upper teeth, the lower teeth and then your bite. You breathe and swallow normally and can pause any time.
Your 3D model is on screen within minutes. Dr. Silva walks you through what she sees and fills any gap in the scan.
The file goes to the lab or aligner planning team, and we map out the next steps of your treatment with you.
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A scan is only as useful as the plan built from it.
Dr. Silva trained in both restorative and orthodontic work, so the same dentist who reviews your model also plans the aligners, crowns or implant restorations that follow. She asks patients to call her Nelly.
The scanner is one of several tools in our office for diagnosis and comfort.
The scan is part of planning your treatment, so we review cost and coverage for the full plan with you before anything begins.
No. The iTero Element captures your teeth with light through a small camera wand, not with X-rays. That makes the scan safe to repeat whenever we need an updated model.
The scan is not painful and there is no tray of putty sitting at the back of your mouth. The slim wand moves over your teeth while you breathe and swallow normally, and we can pause any time you need a break.
The scanning itself usually takes a few minutes for both arches and your bite. Your 3D model appears on the screen as we go, so we can review it together right away.
The scan is part of planning the treatment it supports, such as Invisalign, a crown or an implant restoration, so the cost depends on that treatment. We accept all PPO dental insurance plans and offer payment plans and a dental savings plan for patients without insurance.
Digital impressions are precise enough for crowns, bridges, aligners and implant restorations. Because the model is checked on screen before it is sent, a missed area can be rescanned on the spot instead of retaking a full mold.
Your Invisalign, crown or implant plan can start with a quick digital scan in our Collegeville office.
