# The Application of Intraoral Scanners in Orthodontic Care for Adolescents with Disabilities
## 4 Discussion  
In orthodontics, alginate impression masses are most commonly used for preparing removable acrylic appliances and for creating diagnostic models before treatment with fixed appliances. The time required to take an impression using alginate material, according to the manufacturer's guidelines, is approximately 2.5 min, meaning that it takes 5 min to complete a set of impressions [13]. Bite registration in the conventional approach is typically carried out using wax, which requires additional time. In the case of clear aligner treatment, if a scanner is not available, impressions need to be taken using silicone material in a two-step process. The time required for the two-step impression technique, as per the manufacturer's guidelines, is around 4.5 min for the first step and 5 min for the second step. Therefore, a total of 14.5 min is needed for impressions of both arches [14]. Occlusion registration is determined by technicians based on intraoral photographs and occlusion registration traces using an occlusal stencil. In the literature, we did not find studies describing the scanning of patients with a disability assessment in orthodontic treatment. The time required for obtaining a digital impression using an intraoral scanner, as opposed to the time associated with obtaining a traditional impression, has been analyzed in several studies [15; 16; 17]. Numerous studies consistently confirm that the chairside time needed to take alginate impressions is generally shorter compared to the time required for digital impressions [16]. Furthermore, in a comparative analysis of intraoral scanning, alginate impressions, and polyvinyl siloxane (PVS), it was observed that alginate impressions still require the least amount of time [17]. The process of scanning the upper and lower dental arches along with bite registration using a scanner in our control studies took 5.71 min, aligning with these described results. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline
**Group** & **Min** & **Max** & **The Average Time** \\ \hline I & 4.16 & 24.25 & 8.59 \\ II & 3.39 & 8.03 & 5.71 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Minimum, maximum, and average scan times in Groups I and II. Figure 1: Scanning times in study groups I and II. [PERSON] et al. [18] discovered that the latest-generation scanners not only reduce the chairside time but also shorten the data-processing time. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [19] conducted a study using the iTero intraoral scanner. They compared digital impressions with traditional impressions made by a group of students. The results of their study indicate that the digital impression technique is easier to perform and requires less time and effort compared to traditional methods. It is also possible to repeat part of the study without the need to retake the entire impression. This feature was particularly useful in our study with patients from Group I with a disability assessment. These patients were more impatient, often requiring breaks during scanning, which extended the scanning time. Traditional impression taking using impression material cannot be interrupted until the material is completely set [20; 21; 22]. In patients with disabilities, such impressions are often obtainable only under general anesthesia. This study found that intraoral scanning requires significantly less time than taking silicone impressions. However, it is important to note that potential intraoral anatomical differences and limited mouth opening may introduce complexity and potentially prolong the procedure. It is worth noting that the substantial vertical dimension of the scanner head used in the study may pose a challenge in capturing data from hard-to-reach areas. For patients, scanning was less unpleasant than the standard procedure of taking impressions. Overall, it has been observed that digital impression methods provide greater comfort compared to conventional methods [4; 12; 15; 18; 19; 23].