Digital Impressions Procedure - Knoxville, TN

No more goop or putty in your mouth! Dr. Costa & Dr. Malone are one of the few offices in Knoxville who have invested heavily into digital dentistry.

Digital dental scanners can easily take a digital impression of your entire mouth in less than a minute! Not only are digital impressions more comfortable, but they are much more accurate than old putty impressions that are messy and taste bad. If you require any crown, bridge, implant or even removable dental prosthetics, Dr. Malone or Dr. Costa will scan your teeth with our digital scanner and you’ll be able to see your teeth in 3D on our computer instantly. Ever need to have a putty dental impression retaken? With a digital impression, we simply scan over the tooth that needs to be modified and that’s it!

Exact Precision

Digital dentistry allows Dr. Malone & Dr. Costa to evaluate the precision of their work down to microns! The digital impression software allows them to make sure teeth are adequately shaped so that an ideal crown or implant can be placed. Interested in an Invisalign or orthodontic consultation? We can scan your teeth and have them sent for immediate orthodontic consult without having to take putty impressions.

In-House 3D Printer

Once your digital scan is captured, it is sent securely to our in-house lab downstairs where Bob and our dental technicians can print your teeth with our 3D printer technology. These 3D digital impressions are also used to fabricate surgical guides for guided implant surgery, fabricate crowns and bridges for precise form and fit as well as design digital teeth for dentures and implant supported dentures. Designing teeth digitally allows us to quickly and easily make changes to form and function of your new teeth without having to go back and waste time taking new impressions.

Digital dentistry not only helps us to perform better dentistry and offer you a better product, but it also allows us to cut down on dental waste.

3Shape Trios Digital Scanner

For patients that are considering getting a crown or bridge, a dental impression may be required. This provides an exact mold of your mouth so that the crown fits naturally with your other teeth. A traditional impression may be uncomfortable as the taste of the material may affect you during the process. However, our office uses digital impressions, specifically the 3Shape Trios Scanner.

Benefits of the Trios Digital Scanner

The TRIOs Digital Scanner gets accurate results with little to no discomfort without typical impression materials. Here are the benefits of using a digital scanner:

  • Real Color Scans: Your teeth are scanned to see natural colors to distinguish between teeth, gums and restorative materials; providing more accurate information.
  • Powder-Free: There are no impression materials during the scan, leaving you feeling more comfortable.
  • Faster Results: The chair time is reduced as the scanner will digitally compile without having to wait for the traditional impression material to dry, or prepare.

Once your impression is taken, the results can be shared easily with dental labs to build your new teeth. The 3-D results can be seen from different angles and depths, making it much easier to get an exact mold of your teeth.

All about digital impressions at Knoxville Smiles explained by Dr. Michael Costa
What are digital impressions in dentistry? What are the benefits of getting digital impressions? Watch this video to learn more as Dr. Michael Costa explains all about digital impressions at Knoxville Smiles.

All about digital impressions at Knoxville Smiles explained by Dr. Michael Costa
Video Transcript

What are digital impressions?

Digital impressions are far superior to traditional goopy impressions. For a digital impression, we don’t have to gag you with goop in your mouth. They are quick, efficient, and more accurate.

What are digital impressions used for?

At Knoxville smiles, we use digital impression machines to take impressions for crowns, bridges implant procedures, dentures, and partial dentures.

How is a digital impression taken?

Scanning your whole mouth takes maybe a minute or two. We have two digital impression machines that both Dr. Malone and I use for our patients.

We’re able to immediately send digital scans of your mouth to our custom in house lab downstairs. The lab checks them out to make sure they’re accurate and creates the best possible crown or denture.

What are the benefits of digital impressions?

We can design either a surgery, a prosthetic, or even an implant-supported denture on the computer before we try anything inside your mouth. We have 3D printers in our practice. So digital impressions allow us to print out extremely accurate models of your teeth.

Dr. Micheal Costa

Dr. Costa

Dr. Stephen Malone

Dr. Malone


Knoxville Smiles at Malone & Costa Dentistry offers a unique dental care experience to our patients in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the surrounding areas. The crew is committed to protecting and increasing the natural beauty of your smile by employing conservative, cutting-edge techniques that result in attractive, long-lasting smiles!

Our dedicated and experienced team of doctors includes Dr. Stephen Malone, D.M.D., University of Louisville, and Dr. Michael Costa, D.D.S., UNC School of Dentistry, M.H.A., UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in Chapel Hill, NC. They are firm believers in continuing education to provide their patients with the finest possible care.

Drs. Costa and Malone see their patients as real partners in their service. Our team is committed to making your dental care journey as pleasant as possible.

Success Stories