Method for sizing a dental prosthesis

An in vivo method for determining the size and shape of a dental prosthesis to be fixed to an edentulous site in a patient's mouth, the edentulous site being situated on an arch in which have been placed a plurality of dental implants in the mandible or maxilla, the plurality of implants including first and second anterior implants located near the area designated for incisor teeth and one or more posterior implants, said method comprising the steps of:

• in vivo attaching an anterior scanning device (ASD) to the first and second anterior implants, affixing a scannable marker on the ASD to indicate at least one of a vertical dimension of occlusion and a midline,
• placing a posterior scan body on each of the one or more posterior implants,
• performing an intraoral digital scan that captures the ASD for occlusion and the posterior scan body and a portion of directly adjacent soft tissue,
• making a biocopy of the intraoral digital scan, the biocopy comprising an exact digital replica of the intraoral digital scan,
• removing the anterior scanning device, and then attaching an anterior scan body to each anterior implant,
• resecting the ASD from the biocopy scan by trimming an anterior portion thereof, and
• rescanning the trimmed anterior portion of the biocopy scan to include the anterior scan bodies attached to the anterior implants, said rescanning step including capturing a portion of directly adjacent soft tissue.