If a dentist or orthodontist has already scanned your teeth, that digital record may be able to serve as the starting point for a custom night guard.
Sentinel Mouthguards accepts qualifying STL and PLY digital dental scan files. When the scan contains the information our laboratory needs and still represents your current teeth, it may allow you to order without completing a separate at-home impression.
Already have a scan and need a retainer instead? See how to use an STL or PLY digital scan for a replacement retainer.
This guide explains the overall process — what a digital dental scan is, when an existing scan may be useful, what files Sentinel accepts, and where to go when you have a more specific question.
What Is a Digital Dental Scan?
A digital dental scan is a three-dimensional record of the teeth created with an intraoral scanner, typically in a dental or orthodontic office.
The scanner captures the surfaces of the teeth and creates a digital model. Depending on the scanner and software used by the practice, that model may be exportable in an open format such as STL or PLY.
Those exported files can then be reviewed within a compatible dental laboratory workflow.
Can a Night Guard Be Made From a Digital Scan?
In many cases, yes.
A qualifying digital scan can provide the dental model needed to begin the fabrication process without requiring the customer to take another physical impression.
The important word is qualifying. Simply having an STL or PLY file does not automatically mean every scan will contain everything needed for fabrication.
Sentinel reviews submitted files before production. If the scan is incomplete, exported incorrectly or does not adequately represent the required dental anatomy, we may contact you for another export or additional information.
What File Types Does Sentinel Accept?
Sentinel currently accepts qualifying STL and PLY files.
You do not need to convert your dental files yourself. If your dentist or orthodontist already has a scan, ask whether the office can provide the original export in STL or PLY format.
Which Dental Scanners Can Export STL Files? See which commonly used intraoral scanning systems can provide STL or PLY exports.Digital Scan or At-Home Impression?
A digital scan and a physical impression are two different ways of creating a record of the teeth.
If you already have a current, usable digital scan, using that existing record may allow you to bypass the physical impression step.
If you do not already have a scan, you do not need to schedule a dental scanning appointment just to order a Sentinel night guard. Our at-home impression process remains available.
Impression vs. Digital Scan: Which Is Right for Your Custom Night Guard? Compare the two capture methods and decide which route makes more sense for your situation.What If My Scan Is a Few Years Old?
Digital files do not physically wear out, but teeth can change after the scan was created.
Orthodontic treatment, dental restorations, extractions, tooth movement and other changes may mean that an older scan no longer represents your current dental anatomy closely enough for the intended appliance.
There is no universal expiration date that applies to every digital dental scan. The more useful question is whether the scan still represents the teeth today.
Can I Reuse an Old Digital Scan for a New Night Guard? Learn what matters when deciding whether an older dental scan may still be usable.How Do I Send My Digital Scan to Sentinel?
The current process is straightforward.
- Choose your Sentinel custom night guard.
- Select the digital scan option during checkout.
- Complete your order.
- Watch for the secure scan-upload email.
- Upload your STL or PLY files through the link provided.
Our laboratory will review the submitted files before fabrication. If something else is needed, we’ll contact you.
How to Send an STL or PLY Digital Dental Scan for a Custom Night Guard Follow the current ordering and secure upload process step by step.What Happens After the Scan Reaches the Lab?
Once the digital files are received and reviewed, they become part of Sentinel’s laboratory workflow.
The scan provides the digital dental record from which a working model can be prepared for fabrication. From there, the appliance moves through the appropriate forming, trimming, finishing and quality-control steps for the guard being made.
Using a digital scan changes how the dental model reaches our laboratory. It does not eliminate the need for laboratory review and finishing.
Can the Scan Be Used Again Later?
Digital dental records can also simplify future reorders because the underlying model can be retained rather than recreated each time.
Sentinel can retain submitted digital scan files for future reorders. Whether an existing record remains appropriate later still depends on whether the customer’s teeth have changed.
Reordering From a Saved 3D Dental Model See how a stored digital model can be used when you return for another appliance.The Bottom Line
A professional digital dental scan can be a useful starting point for a custom night guard when the scan is current, complete and available in a compatible format.
Sentinel accepts qualifying STL and PLY files and reviews submitted scans before fabrication.
If you already have a scan, you may be able to use it instead of taking another impression. If you do not, Sentinel’s at-home impression process remains available.