How to Scan Implants: Scan Bodies, Common Mistakes and What to Send the Lab

An implant scan can look perfect on screen and still produce a crown that will not seat. The scanner never sees the implant. It records a scan body, and every link in the chain has to hold: the right scan body, fully seated, facing the right way, scanned completely and matched to the right library file.

This guide covers each step with manufacturer instructions and published studies, then common mistakes and what to send.

Quick Answer

Use the scan body made for that implant's system and platform and supported by your lab's library, hand-tighten it as its instructions direct, and confirm full seating. Turn its flat away from neighboring teeth. Scan the emergence profile first and quickly, then scan the scan body slowly from an adjacent tooth. For full arches, expect more error and plan a verification step. Send the implant system, platform, scan body, abutment and retention type, material, shade, opposing arch and bite.

What Is a Scan Body, and How Does the Lab Use It?

A scan body is a precision part screwed into the implant, or onto a multi-unit abutment, for the scan. Straumann says its scan bodies "represent the position and orientation" of the implant for CAD/CAM.

In the lab, the design software overlays a library file, an exact 3D model of that scan body, on the scanned one. Medit describes this as replacing scan data with library data "to accurately reproduce the position and angle of the implant." The aligned file shows the software where the platform sits.

So three things must match: the implant platform, the scan body's brand and type, and the library file. Elos allows its scan body only with the original branded implant or abutment on its label and "with a compatible digital library file installed in the design software." Neodent's GM manual says to make sure "the selected library matches the scanbodies." Automatic matching deserves a check: manual alignment was significantly more accurate in one study (Kropfeld et al., 2024).

Genuine vs. compatible scan bodies

Implant companies sell their own scan bodies; third parties sell compatible ones with their own library files (Nobel Biocare's own chart lists Elos and 3Shape scan bodies). In a clinical study of 25 two-implant screw-retained bridges, original, non-original and generic scan bodies showed no significant differences in delivery or implant positions (Boz et al., 2025). The bigger risk is mixing: Straumann says not to mix its one-piece and two-piece scan bodies "in one scanning process."

How Tight Should a Scan Body Be, and How Do You Know It Is Seated?

Follow the IFU for the exact scan body used; all agree on light force.

In one in vitro study, hand tightening displaced two PEEK scan bodies vertically by more than 100 µm, and the authors suggested 5 Ncm instead (Kim et al., 2020). Another advised against 15 Ncm on the PEEK scan bodies it tested (Diker et al., 2023). "Hand-tight" means finger pressure on the driver, not a hard twist; if the IFU gives a number, use a calibrated driver.

Checking full seating

Straumann says to check "for any rotational or vertical looseness"; Elos requires a seating surface free of residue, liquids, bone and soft tissue. 3Shape warns that a partially seated scan body can cause errors "that may only become visible later in the workflow."

On deep or subcrestal implants, a periapical radiograph can settle the question. In a classic study of external hex abutments, radiographs stayed diagnostic while the tube head was within 20 degrees of perpendicular to the implant (Cameron et al., 1998). Whether the exposure is justified is your clinical call.

Which Way Should the Flat Face?

The flat or angled indexing surface records the connection's rotation, so it must be captured cleanly and never face a neighbor.

• Straumann: for a single tooth, orient it "buccally (not adjacent to the approximal teeth)," with no contact with neighbors.
• Medit: matching points should "face the lingual or the buccal."
• 3Shape (full arch): hexagons "toward the lingual side"; scan bodies "must never touch or overlap."

In an in vitro complete-arch study, a lingual bevel orientation was significantly more accurate than other orientations, and the implant where the scan ended showed more distortion (Gómez-Polo et al., 2022).

What Is the Best Scan Strategy for an Implant?

Soft tissue first, and fast

In a 2025 systematic review, every clinical study of direct scanning reported significant soft tissue collapse immediately after the provisional was removed; in one, emergence profile volume fell 5% at 30 seconds, 10% at 2 minutes and 14% at 5 minutes compared with an immediate scan. The review rated indirect scanning, an extra scan of the provisional outside the mouth overlaid on the scan with it in place, as the most promising method (Mikulás et al., 2025).

1. Scan the arch with the healing abutment or provisional in place.
2. Remove it and capture the emergence profile right away. Medit: "Ensure to acquire scan data sufficiently from the emergence profile."
3. Seat and check the scan body, then scan it as a separate stage.

Scan path

Medit's steps: start from a tooth adjacent to the scan body, use maximum scan depth, and scan the scan body area "slow enough to acquire scan data sufficiently." In full arches, 3Shape warns that spreading scan bodies apart increases scanning time, "Risk of stitching errors" and deviation along the arch.

Single Units vs. Full Arches: How Accurate Are Implant Scans?

For single implants and short spans, a 2024 systematic review found scanning with scan bodies comparable to conventional impressions, "particularly in single and short-span scenarios" (Gehrke et al., 2024). A 2025 meta-analysis of seven clinical studies (151 partially dentate patients) found digital impressions acceptable for short spans, with caution for long-span or angulated implants (Park et al., 2025).

Full arches differ: 3Shape notes that long arch scans "can introduce stitching errors."

Companion reviews found a mean of 36 µm for intraoral and 27 µm for extraoral photogrammetry (Revilla-León et al., 2025; Prasad et al., 2026). Even so, a 2025 meta-analysis favoring photogrammetry concluded "a rigid prototype try-in is still recommended" (Pozzi et al., 2025), and a 2025 review describes verification jigs as adjuncts for intraoral scans with vertical scan bodies (Wong et al., 2025). For materials, see Full-Arch Zirconia vs. PMMA vs. Hybrid.

Can You Reuse and Autoclave Scan Bodies?

The label decides (see the table above). Straumann states that "Multiple use of a scanbody can lead to inaccurate results." Elos says to cool a scan body to 18 to 37 °C after autoclaving and never to use a damaged or modified one.

Lab studies are mixed: several found deviations growing with reuse (Aktas et al., 2025; Smojver et al., 2026), while one found no significant precision loss for titanium scan bodies within 15 reprocessing cycles (Völler et al., 2026). A 2023 review preferred metal scan bodies, because polymer ones can wear with reuse and sterilization (Revilla-León et al., 2023).

Common Implant Scanning Mistakes

What Should You Send the Lab With an Implant Scan?

• Implant system and platform for each site, including connection and platform size.
• Scan body used: brand and exact type, and whether it sits on the implant or a multi-unit abutment.
• Desired abutment: stock, custom, titanium base or multi-unit. See Implant Abutments Explained.
• Retention: screw- or cement-retained. See Screw-Retained vs. Cement-Retained Implant Crowns.
• Material and shade, with a shade photo for esthetic cases.
• Opposing arch and bite, plus emergence profile and provisional scans.

For export settings, see How to Send a Scan to a Dental Lab.

Implant Restorations at Elegant Dental Laboratory

• Screw-retained and cement-retained implant restorations, custom screw-retained abutments and full-arch cases, made in house at our 7,000 sq. ft. Brooklyn facility by more than 35 technicians, with no outsourcing. See our implant options.
• We review digital scans before production.
• Up to a 20-year warranty on screw-retained implant abutments and up to 7 years on final restorations.
• Submit a digital case, or call 877-335-5221 to confirm your implant system and scan body before your first case.

Related Guides

• Why Implant Screws Loosen, and How to Prevent It
• TRIOS vs. iTero in 2026: How the Two Leading Intraoral Scanners Compare
• AI Crown Design in Dental Labs: What It Does Well, Where It Fails, and What It Means for Your Cases

FAQ

Should I hand-tighten or torque a scan body?

Follow its IFU: Straumann says hand-tighten; Elos says slightly by hand, max. 5 Ncm.

Can I use a compatible scan body instead of the implant maker's own?

Often yes, if your lab has its library file; a clinical study of short-span bridges found no significant differences. Never mix brands in one arch.

Do I need a radiograph to confirm seating?

Not always; it helps most on deep or subcrestal implants, where feel alone can mislead.

How many times can I reuse a scan body?

Only as often as its label allows, from single use (Straumann) to up to 100 use cycles (Elos).

Is an intraoral scan accurate enough for a full-arch implant bridge?

It can be, but error is larger and more variable; consider a verification try-in or photogrammetry.

Reviewed by Gary Fingerman, founder and CEO of Elegant Dental Laboratory, Brooklyn, New York (founded 2007). Last reviewed: September 28, 2026. Manufacturer instructions change; always follow the current instructions for use of your scan body and scanner.