An assembly of electronic devices intended to use optical technology to capture digital topographical 3-D images of teeth, oral cavity structure and geometry, and bite relationship of a patient; it is typically in addition capable of detecting dental caries. It consists of a hand-held intraoral scanner with near infrared (NIR) and laser illumination, and a mobile unit with a user interface with display/controls. The resulting digital dental impressions may be used for CAD/CAM fabrication of dental restorations and orthodontic devices.