There has been a lot of talk lately about the newer trend of three-dimensional intraoral scanners and the traditional impression methods of taking a dental impression. Both methods yield accurate impressions of a patient's dentition and are used for procedures such as crowns, bridges, aligners, and dentures. Impressions have been the gold standard for these procedures for many years; however, with the advent of digital technology, intraoral scanning is a faster, cleaner, and more efficient alternative. Let us compare and contrast how these two technologies differ and which one may be more suitable for one's dental care. Comfort and Patient Experience One difference between these two impression techniques is patient comfort. For traditional impressions, a tray filled with gooey impression material is placed inside the mouth for a few minutes, causing gagging and discomfort for some patients, especially those with dental anxiety. On the contrary, the procedure with the 3D int...