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The full integration of intra-oral scanners with Epic improves efficiency and enhances patient experience by significantly reducing appointment times and appointment-to-treatment times so patients receive the right care faster.
UCLH's digital dentistry programme has replaced the use of traditional dental impressions with advanced intra-oral scanners to capture precise digital images of patients' teeth and gums. This move from analogue to digital speeds up the process, is better for patients, and better for the environment.
Deborah Bomfim, Clinical Director for Dental Services said:
“Unlike traditional dental impressions, which use gooey/ putty-like materials, this technology provides a more comfortable, accurate, and quicker way to obtain impressions of the inside of patients’ mouths.”
“We are excited to be transforming our services to be even more patient centred and technologically advanced. This technology facilitates further patient involvement in their care and can be used as a tool for patient education and discussion of treatment options amongst other advantages.”
This integration streamlines the process for clinicians and provides instant access to all the right information when ordering scans and viewing results. Making use of this technology improves patient and staff experience and reduces the risk of scan duplication.
The Digital Dentistry programme was generously funded by the UCLH Charity with excellent teamwork across our Dental, Digital Healthcare EHR, and Technology teams.
Gill Gaskin, Medical Director Digital Healthcare, added:
“The large-scale and full integration of this technology with the Epic electronic health record system is unique. This is a great example of how our Digital Healthcare team supports clinical and operational colleagues to improve efficiency and patient care - and it fits perfectly with the NHS ambition to move from analogue to digital. Clinicians can easily access and compare digital images over time, enhancing the completeness of medical records and patient safety.”
Intra-oral scanning | Digital impressions in dentistry
This video explores how intra-oral scanners are transforming dental care with precise, pain-free digital impressions. This technology captures detailed 3D images of your teeth and gums, offering a comfortable alternative to traditional silicone impressions. Learn how it enhances patient communication, reduces clinical waste, and speeds up treatment times.
Read more about the technology and benefits in the case study below.
Our dental teams needed a fully integrated digital solution to address the inefficiencies and limitations of traditional and manual dental impression methods.
These methods are time-consuming, require physical materials and storage, and are prone to human error.
To enhance patient safety and streamline the process, it was essential to integrate this technology with the Epic electronic health record (EHR) system. The large-scale implementation of intra-oral scanners coupled with their full integration into Epic is a UK-first and includes:
- The ability to place requests directly in Epic for procedures performed using intra-oral scanners.
- The creation of an interface between Epic and the intra-oral scanners to transfer demographic and order information safely and securely.
- The ability to store images captured by the device in the Cloud, linked to the patient's order, so these are instantly available to the labs for analysis.
The scanner captures a digital image of the teeth and gums. The digital image is securely and instantly uploaded to the Cloud so the lab can see it right away.
Patients can also see a 3-D model of the teeth on the computer screen so the clinician can discuss the treatment with the patient, improving communication and understanding.
The streamlined workflow is better for the dental team and the laboratory as it cuts back on time and minimises the risk of any potential data entry errors.
Clinicians place requests for intra-oral scan procedures directly within the Epic system.
A seamless interface between the intra-oral scanner and Epic facilitates the safe and secure transfer of patient demographics and information.
Scanned images are stored in the Cloud and directly linked to the patient's electronic health record, enhancing clinicians' efficiency and the completeness of the patient's medical record.
This integration allows the digital images to be viewed within Epic using a link to the Cloud portal. An automated message is sent back to the original order in Epic when the scanned image is available, completing the process.
The implementation of intra-oral scanners leads to significant improvements in patient experience and care.
Patients benefit from reduced treatment times and more comfortable procedures, while staff benefit from streamlined workflows and reduced human error.
Saving time: As staff get used to the new way of working, the time taken for full arch impressions will reduce from 18-27 minutes to 5-8 minutes, saving approximately 22 minutes per patient for a single crown impression.
Better patient experience: Reduced treatment time for patients and a more comfortable process overall. The scanning process is quick, usually completed in just a few minutes, which will significantly reduce the time patients spend in the dental chair.
Improved safety: Automated patient data entry into the scanner reduces potential errors associated with manual entry.
Better visualisation: Digital impressions obtained from intra-oral scanners provides better visualisation as the anatomy is clearly seen.
Financial impact: The project will lead to cost savings over time by reducing the use of dental impression materials and waste disposal. For example, in 2019-2020, £9,700 was spent on gypsum waste disposal, which is no longer needed using intra-oral scanners.
Environmental benefits: Reducing waste and carbon emissions by eliminating the need for physical moulds and courier services.
Improved communication with patients: Having the scan display on the screen enables better communication with patients, as the 3D model can be viewed with the patient to discuss treatment options.
This project has been generously funded by the UCLH Charity with excellent teamwork across our Dental, Digital Healthcare EHR, and Technology teams.
Dental teams were engaged in the design and implementation of the solution to ensure the new system works as seamlessly as possible for clinicians.
The Digital Healthcare EHR team, responsible for the solution design and implementation, and the Technology team, who were responsible for the creation of the interface, worked closely with our clinical and operational colleagues to ensure the solution meets everyone’s needs.
