If you’re contemplating purchasing an intraoral scanner, there’s a lot to consider. Or maybe you already have one and are wondering if it really is improving the efficiency of your dental practice and boosting the quality of your patient experience. We’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick breakdown of some things to consider with intraoral scanners:
Intraoral scanners can have quite a hefty price tag. When pricing out a scanner it’s important to consider not only the upfront cost but the whole cost breakdown. As Dr. Mark McOmie puts it, “You really need to consider the cost of ownership of the scanner. What I mean by this is how much will the scanner cost you to own and operate over the scanners lifetime.”[i] Certain scanners charge a per use charge, while others charge on a yearly or monthly basis. There are also warranty and support fees to keep in mind. Look out for scanners coming out in the next couple of years that embrace a more welcoming “open source” and “free use” model. Though it may seem like a large investment, when you use a scanner for impressions you’ll be saving a significant amount of the physical impression material costs. And since time is money, it’s important to note you’ll likely be saving a lot of time too. More patients in seats, less wasted chair time.
“At Ballard Laboratories, remakes are less than 1% with all their digital impression clients.”
All things considered, using an intraoral scanner is predicted to decrease your patients’ chair time by around 25-50%.[ii] Intraoral scanners do create impressions a bit quicker than the traditional method. The real time saving, though, comes in the steps after the impression is made. Digital impressions don’t require the time-consuming tasks of pouring stone casts or obtaining physical plaster models. And, because they’re digital, in most cases you can email the 3D models to the dental laboratory directly, rather than waiting on snail mail for the molds to arrive. The accuracy of the impressions also save time down the road when the restorations come back. You’ll ultimately have fewer remakes to worry about. At Ballard Laboratories remakes are less than 1% with all their digital impression clients.
Patients benefit from more these digital more accurate impressions, period. It’s all about the patient. It’s also all about making you look good in front of these patients. And when they are in the chair, these machines make the experience a more pleasant one. The digital impression experience doesn’t require the annoying goo that traditional methods rely on to get an impression. The actual scanning is speedy and effortless on the part of your customer in the chair. A lot of patients “have anxiety and a strong gag reflex and therefore do not tolerate the conventional impressions,” which is another bonus to using the digital system.[iii] When the scanning is done, you can easily share the impressions with the patient as you discuss treatment options. This allows for a more productive dialogue with the patient that makes them more prone to accept the case you suggest.
Current intraoral scanners on the market are capable of making impressions for a whole variety of restorations on both natural teeth and implants. They can also be utilized to fabricate posts and cores and removable partial prostheses and obturators. You can even use them for smile design! A downfall of intraoral scanners is that it may be difficult to detect deep margin lines in prepared teeth and in the case of bleeding. We do however have some inside tracks on new and upcoming scanners that will excel in these areas.
All that said, how easy are they to use? It’s true that there’s likely to be a learning curve when making the switch to intraoral scanners. But the practice will pay off. If you already have one, rest assured you’ve made a good choice. If you’re looking to purchase, you’re well on your way to saving time, increasing accuracy, and making your patients even more pleased with their dental experience.
“We highly recommend you wait until the next generation of scanners come out that will 1) be better and have more user-friendly technology and 2) that will be less expensive. JUST WAIT A LITTLE LONGER.”
What is our honest assessment of intraoral scanners on the market today? Well, there are pros and cons to them all. Hands down we suggest you begin plans to adopt this technology into your practice in the coming years. However, the up-front cost of the scanner is overpriced at this current time. We highly recommend you wait until the next generation of scanners come out that will 1) be better and have more user-friendly technology and 2) that will be less expensive. JUST WAIT A LITTLE LONGER.
[i] Dr. Mark McOmrie. How to Price an Intraoral Scanner for your Dental Practice, 3shape, 2017.
https://www.3shape.com/en/knowledge-center/news-and-press/news/2017/how-to-price-an-intraoral-scanner-for-your-dental-practice
[ii] 2018 Intraoral Scanner Buyer’s Guide, Beacon Bay Dental.
[iii] Francesco Mangano, Andrea Gandolfi, Giuseppe Luongo, and Silvia Logozzo. Intraoral Scanners in Dentistry: A Review of the Current Literature, BMC Oral Health, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5727697/