Digital Scanning
Mastering Digital Margins: 3 Tips for Crisp Scans & Seamless Fits
2026-08-19 · 5 min read · By Phoenix Dental Tech Clinical Team
When it comes to CAD/CAM restorative dentistry, your final crown is only as precise as the margin line captured in your digital scan. While intraoral scanners have transformed modern workflows, subgingival prep lines and soft tissue management remain common hurdles for chairside teams.
To help ensure smooth seating and eliminate remake requests, here are three high-impact habits to adopt during your next scan.
Tip 01
Establish Clear Tissue Retraction
Digital scanners cannot read through blood, saliva, or overlapping gingiva.
The Dual-Cord Technique
Place a fine primary cord (#000) to displace tissue vertically, followed by a thicker secondary cord (#0 or #1) soaked in aluminum chloride to push the tissue laterally.
Remove Just Before Scanning
Leave the primary cord in place if it sits below the margin, removing only the top cord right before drying and scanning the tooth.
Tip 02
Isolate & Flash-Dry the Prep
Subgingival moisture distorts light reflection and creates artifacts or missing mesh data on the scan.
Keep the field tight
Keep the isolation field tight using dry angles and continuous suction.
Flash-dry before the sweep
Give the prepped tooth a 2–3 second blast of air immediately before sweeping the scanner lens over the margin area to keep it fully dry.
Tip 03
Verify Margin Continuity in 3D Mesh Mode
Before sending the digital file to Phoenix Dental Tech, toggle off the color texture mode (monochrome/clay view) in your scanning software.
Why it matters
Color textures can obscure faint scan errors. Viewing the raw 3D mesh reveals whether the margin line is smooth and unbroken.
Quick Fix
If you spot a gap or distortion, simply use the eraser tool on that specific area, re-dry the tooth, and rescan just the margin without starting over.
Partner with Phoenix Dental Tech
Have a complex multi-unit case or a tricky aesthetic zone coming up? Our lab team is fully integrated with open digital workflows — including 3Shape, iTero, Medit, CEREC, and Exocad.
Have questions about scanning protocols or platform compatibility? Call us at (732) 643-8828 or send a case directly to our Ocean Township laboratory.