Purpose

The in vivo case report explores whether the iTero Lumina scanner multi-direct capture technology—can overcome common limitations of traditional and previous digital impression techniques in complex, full-arch implant cases, and achieve a passive, accurate prosthetic fit with improved patient experience and clinical workflow

Approach  

A 72-year-old male with severe mandibular and maxillary dental disease opted for a full-arch mandibular extraction with immediate implant placement and provisional loading. The treatment strategy combined advanced digital planning, fully guided surgical techniques, and digital impression taking. The paper’s clinical focus is on the impression and restorative phase of the mandibular rehabilitation using the novel MDC technology in the iTero Lumina scanner, comparing its practical utility to known challenges in full-arch intraoral scanning.           

Key stages

1. Digital planning & Surgical stage
   • iTero lumina scan & Dicom files were gathered and merged for virtual implant planning using DSD Planning center
   • Guided extraction and immediate placement of six Straumann implants (All-on-6 concept) using a 3D-printed surgical guide.
   • A 3D-printed provisional prosthesis was delivered immediately after surgery.
2. Prosthetic Stage
   • After 4 months, digital impressions of the healed mandibular arch and scan bodies were obtained with the iTero Lumina scanner
   • The upper provisional denture was scanned for occlusal reference.
   • The acquired digital data were sent to the dental laboratory for CAD/CAM design and fabrication of a full-arch, metal-ceramic FP3 prosthesis and passive fit was assessed both on the model and intraorally before final delivery.
3. Prosthetic fit & delivery

Findings:

• The iTero Lumina with MDC technology enabled comprehensive, accurate digital capture of implant positions and surrounding anatomy in a single, efficient scan path.
• The scanner’s ability to capture a wide area and multiple angles simultaneously reduced stitching and alignment errors, a common issue in full-arch digital impressions.
• The workflow resulted in a precise, passive fit of the final mandibular prosthesis on the first try, with no clinical or radiographic discrepancies.
• The patient reported a comfortable, fast, and stress-free experience, benefitting from the scanner’s ergonomic design and non-invasive process.
• No complications were observed during healing or after final prosthesis delivery, and the patient achieved high functional and aesthetic satisfaction.
• Scanning utilized multi-angled, simultaneous data capture over a wide field of view, reducing the need for sequential scanning and minimizing stitching errors.

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