Recent advances in dental optics – Part I: 3D intraoral scanners for restorative dentistry

• We explain the traditional and digital dental impression taking process.
• We introduce all the existing intraoral scanners for restorative dentistry.
• We deal with all the non-contact imaging principles.
• We analyse and evaluate working principles, features and performances of most of the existing devices.

Intra-oral scanning technology is a very fast-growing field in dentistry since it responds to the need of an accurate three-dimensional mapping of the mouth, as required in a large number of procedures such as restorative dentistry and orthodontics. Nowadays, more than 10 intra-oral scanning devices for restorative dentistry have been developed all over the world even if only some of those devices are currently available on the market. All the existing intraoral scanners try to face with problems and disadvantages of traditional impression fabrication process and are based on different non-contact optical technologies and principles. The aim of this publication is to provide an extensive review of existing intraoral scanners for restorative dentistry evaluating their working principles, features and performances.