Overview
A dual scan protocol is a 2-step scanning process of fully edentulous patients using CT or CBCT scanners for treatment planning. It’s required for the design and fabrication of the following surgical templates:
- 3Sixty Tooth-Supported Guide
- 3Sixty Tissue-Supported Guide
- 3Sixty Bone-Supported Guide
- 3Sixty Anatomic Guide™
- 3Sixty Restorative Solution
You will need:
- CBCT scan of the denture only with markers.
- CBCT scan of the patient wearing the same denture with markers.
Checklist
The following items are needed for a successful scan:
- Patient’s existing denture, duplicate denture or clear acrylic scanning appliance.
- No metal components (e.g. wire mesh/plate, metallic crown or wire clasps).
- SureMark CT Scan Markers: 6-8 radiopaque (non-metallic) glass beaded-stickers.
- FutarBite Registration: radiolucent bite index.
Preparation for Dual Scan
- Start with a clear acrylic scanning appliance or well-fitted denture with low radiopacity to avoid scatter.
- Check stability and fit (i.e. full palatal coverage, sulcus full depth is reached).
- Do a hard reline if necessary (recommended).
- Dry the appliance before sticking the markers so that they don’t move.
- Mark the appliance with 6-8 markers for the partial or full-arch appliance.
- Cut the markers if necessary so that they can fit.
- Place markers randomly but make sure there are none on the soft tissue surface.
Prosthesis Scan
- Position the appliance as just as it sits in the patient’s mouth on a foam or Styrofoam block.
- Scan the appliance at 80KVP and 2ma if you’re using a Carestream unit. On any other unit, continue to use patient morphology.
- Confirm that all markers are clearly visible in the scan.
Patient Scan
- Prepare a bite registration with the full-arch appliance to ensure proper seating.
- Use normal implant planning protocols and the largest field of view.
- Ask the patient to bite firmly on the bite registration to blanch the gums.
- Confirm that all markers are clearly visible and the appliance is seated properly.
Dual Scan Tips & Tricks
Remember that the tissue-supported guide will fit on the patient’s mucosa exactly how your denture fits in the mouth at the time of scanning. (better fitting denture = accurately seated surgical guide)
Hard Reline your denture as needed before scanning your | ![]() |
Your denture must be completely radiolucent to prevent scatter and artifacts in the scan. The only visible indicator will be the radiographic markers. | ![]() |
When taking the denture-only scan, we recommend that you use a foam block to rest the denture on during the scan (create a distance between the bite place and the denture). | ![]() |
We always recommend using radiologically compatible CT markers. | ![]() |
If the patient is wearing a denture in one arch and dentate at the opposing arch, scan the patient with the arches separated by a couple of millimeters. | ![]() |
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