What should digital scans show before you commit to reconstruction?
Before you commit, the digital record should let you see three things: the diagnosis (which teeth are worn, cracked, decayed, missing or failing, and why), the proposed end point (tooth shapes, bite height and how upper and lower teeth will meet, shown as a 3D design or mock-up), and the plan to test it in temporaries before anything is final.
A preview is a planning tool, not a guarantee of the result, and an examination plus x-rays or 3D imaging decide what the scan cannot show: decay under old restorations, root and bone condition, nerve health.
What a scan is and is not
An intraoral scan is a surface record of teeth and gums. It is not an x-ray; it shows nothing beneath the surface. The American Dental Association's guidance on radiographs and the FDA's description of cone-beam imaging explain when imaging is selected to see roots and bone (ADA; FDA). Accuracy evidence for full-arch scanning is acceptable but comes largely from laboratory studies.
What the design should display
- Tooth length, shape and alignment
- The planned bite height and how the teeth will meet
- The lip line and how much tooth shows at rest and smiling
- Which teeth change and which stay
- Where implants or bridges would sit
How to read a preview
It is a proposal. Ask what is fixed by anatomy and what is a choice. Ask to see it from several angles and against your face. Ask what the provisional phase will test, and how changes you request at that stage are carried into the finals.
What the scan cannot decide
Whether a tooth is restorable, whether the nerve is healthy, whether bone will support an implant, whether gum disease is controlled. Those come from the examination, tests and imaging.
Questions to ask
Which teeth are changing, and why each one? What bite height, and how will it be tested? What would change the design once the temporaries are in? What does the plan look like if an implant site turns out unsuitable?
The studio describes digital planning as part of reconstruction (studio).
Next step: Request a consultation or call (805) 565-5111. A request is not a confirmed appointment; the office confirms times during its listed hours (Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 5 pm, plus select Fridays).
Scan-review questions and treatment-preview checklist
I have seen:
- The diagnosis, tooth by tooth
- The 3D design or mock-up from the front, side and against my face
- The planned bite height and how teeth will meet
- Which teeth change and which stay
- Where implants or bridges would go
- The plan for testing in temporaries
I have asked:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is set by anatomy vs choice? | |
| What will the temporaries test? | |
| What x-rays or 3D imaging were taken, and what did they show? | |
| What happens if something changes mid-plan? |
Reminder: a preview is a planning tool, not a guarantee.
Guides are general education; an examination is needed for individual advice.
Sources
- Oral Health Topics: X-Rays/Radiographs (updated Mar 26, 2026) — American Dental Association
- Dental Cone-beam Computed Tomography — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Loul Dental Studio: Full Mouth Reconstruction — Loul Dental Studio
- Clinician statement — Loul Dental Studio
Sources were current when this guide was last updated.
Educational content, not a diagnosis. Please contact the studio to discuss your own situation.