# The Application of Intraoral Scanners in Orthodontic Care for Adolescents with Disabilities
###### Abstract  
Access to dental services for young disabled patients is challenging and expensive, often necessitating treatment under general anesthesia. Additionally, ensuring accuracy during impression-taking procedures can be very difficult or outright impossible using traditional methods. Newly developed systems for capturing three-dimensional images of the oral cavity can facilitate the treatment of patients with disabilities. The research aimed to assess the timing of intraoral scanning using a scanner in orthodontic treatment, comparing disabled patients undergoing clear aligner therapy with their healthy counterparts. Scanning times were compared in two patient groups. Group I comprised patients with a certificate of disability, while Group II (control) consisted of patients without a certificate of disability. Maximlcy and mandibular scans, as well as bite registration, were performed with the intraoral scanner. The mean scanning time in study Group I was 8.59 min, while in control Group II, it was 5.71 min. The results demonstrated statistical significance, reaching a significance level of \(p<0.001\). The scanning of disabled patients proved to be more challenging and time-consuming compared to patients in the control group. Consequently, doctors must consider the need to allocate more time to a disabled person during a visit. Despite the difficulties, disabled patients accepted this method of bite scanning. There was no need to carry out such a procedure under general anesthesia. This confirms that scanning should be the preferred method in orthodontic treatment for disabled patients. intraoral scanner; patients with disabilities; orthodontics +
Footnote †: journal: Medical  
Fixed braces are not practicable in adolescent patients with disabilities due to the hygienic and nutritional challenges involved, the handling of the braces themselves, and the fact that such a treatment is not covered by health insurance. Orthodontic treatment for young patients with disabilities is therefore limited to the use of removable orthodontic appliances. It is very difficult or outright impossible to take good dental impressions in patients with disabilities without general anesthesia. The primary goal of dental impressions is to replicate the intraoral condition of the patient, forming an accurate and representative model. The acquisition of a high-quality model that closely resembles the original is crucial for the success of orthodontic treatment. Throughout the years, various impression materials and techniques have been employed to attain the desired level of precision [2]. In the age of swift digital advancement, new imaging technologies have emerged in the field of dentistry as well. Digital Dentistry Technology (DDT) systems have surfaced, enabling the capture of three-dimensional images within the patient's oral cavity. The term \"CAD/CAM\" (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Assisted Manufacturing) pertains to the utilization of computers to assist in the design and fabrication of orthodontic and prosthetic appliances [3,4]. In dental prosthetics and implant prosthetics, the achievements of digital dentistry are applied especially at the stage of making intraoral records of the prosthetic field (intraoral scanners) and in the fabrication of prosthetic dental restorations (dental laboratory scanners and milling machines). Dentists are particularly interested in the applicability of the intraoral scanner: its usefulness and reliability in clinical procedures and potential interoperability with the relevant laboratory instrumentation [5]. The digital transformation has also been embraced in orthodontics [6,7]. In 1999, Orthocad from Czestochowa introduced pioneering software that revolutionized orthodontics by enabling the scanning of impressions directly at the company's headquarters. These scans were then used to generate digital 3D models, enabling the digital analysis and archiving of orthodontic data [8,9]. To date, many intraoral scanning devices have been developed around the world.