Are you interested in learning in depth about intraoral scanners for the dental clinic? This is your place. We will tell you:
- How an intraoral scanner works.
- The types that exist.
- The advantages of having an intraoral scanner in your dental clinic.
- Comparison of the main intraoral scanners that currently exist on the market.
Without a doubt this guide will make your choice easier when buying it! The comparison is fundamentally based on the contributions made by The Institute of Digital Dentistry and the experience of doctors Dr. Hamid Al-Hassiny, Dr Haidar Al-Hassiny and Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassiny.
Doctors Al-Hassiny attended the ISD 2019 fair held in Germany, and spent 5 days, more than 28 hours, testing the main intraoral scanners (IOS ) that were on display.
After these tests they have published a comparison of intraoral scanners, to help dentists choose the most appropriate intraoral scanner. There are many options on the market and sometimes it can be difficult to choose an intraoral scanner because Every representative says their scanner and system are the best.
Intraoral scanners play a leading role in digital dentistry and more and more dental clinics are joining this technology and leaving traditional dental impressions behind. This is a relatively recent advance, dating only from 1971 when the French dentist Dr. François Duret began to talk about the applications of the CAD/CAM system in the field of dentistry. Very shortly after, in 1980, the Swiss dentist Dr. Werner Mörmann together with Marco Brandestini, an Italian electrical engineer, introduced the first commercial CAD/CAM system for dental use to the market: CEREC from Sirona Dental Systems.
Everything you need to know about the intraoral scanner
What is an intraoral scanner?
The intraoral scanner is a device that will allow you to take a digital impression of the patient's mouth in a more precise way, because you can forget about the volumetric changes that conventional impression materials undergo; and comfortable, because it will undoubtedly prove to be a less unpleasant experience for the patient.
Intraoral scanners consist of three parts:
- Camera (hardware)
- Computer
- Software
How does an intraoral scanner work?
It works through the emission of a beam of light, which can be a laser or structured light, which is emitted on the surfaces of the oral tissues. The camera captures the deformation that light undergoes on surfaces and uses this information to calibrate 3D coordinates. This process requires a software processor with a lot of power, since it requires forming a cloud of points and meshes to reconstruct the 3D image. Once the point cloud is obtained and the mesh is created, the adjacent points must be connected by straight lines, generating triangles of different sizes and, subsequently, a continuous surface.
When a polygonal representation of oral tissues is obtained, a curved surface is modeled as many small flat surfaces. This means that the more curved the surface is, the smaller the triangles will be and vice versa if the surface is flatter. The process by which the point cloud is converted into a 3D digital model is called reconstruction.
Once the reconstruction is done, we will obtain an STL file that defines the three-dimensional geometry of the oral structures as a surface composed of triangles, each one formed by three points. Data such as color, texture and transparency will be given by other types of files, such as PLY.
What type of intraoral scanners exist?
Currently there are two types of technologies:
- Photographic technology scanner: Its operation is based on taking individual images of the area to be scanned.
- Video technology scanner: Its operation is based on recording the areas to be scanned, simply like a video camera.
The difference between both scanners is that photographic technology scanners have a cone-shaped field of view, so they cannot obtain information from hidden surfaces and several passes are required to obtain the information, then all These images are merged in a process called alignment to obtain a complete image.
It is also possible to make another classification within intraoral scanners according to their digital workflow modality, dividing them into out office and in office.
What are the advantages of intraoral scanners?
The advantages of equipping your dental clinic with an intraoral scanner are many, we will mention some of them:
- You will be able to obtain impressions with greater reliability and diagnostic precision.
- You will require less time, depending on your digital workflow, if you have equipment such as a CAD/CAM milling machine, you can make a crown in a few hours.
- You will be able to skip buying printing materials, saving time and money.
- Your patient will be more comfortable and satisfied with your care.
- The information about your digital impressions will be stored in files in the cloud and you will not need to allocate space to save plaster models.
- Communication with the laboratory will be easier, it will be easier to explain what your requirements are.
- Communication with your patients will undoubtedly improve, it will be easier for them to understand the treatment and be motivated by seeing the final result in advance.
Comparison criteria for the evaluation of intraoral scanners
In order for the comparison to be carried out in the same way, the tests of the intraoral scanners have been carried out using different typodonts, with full arch scans and also bite scans. It was done this way because due to rules at the exhibition, it was not possible for them to carry out the tests directly in the mouth.
To graphically offer the score, 5 stars were used, therefore the more stars an intraoral scanner has in one of the criteria, the better it will be. Below, we mention what the comparison criteria were and why:
- Scan speed: One of the most important factors when choosing an intraoral scanner is the scanning speed. Therefore, the first thing to be taken into account for evolution by doctors has been the full arc scanning speed. Although the evaluation is relative, the five-star rating gives an idea of which ones are faster or slower.
- Scanning flow: Not only the speed of the scan is relevant, but also how smooth the experience is. Whether the intraoral scanner handles well in the corners and anterior region, or whether it recovers quickly after having missed the scan. Also if it joins the images well or if it loses the frequency. The assessment of the scanning flow indicates which experience has been irregular or, in any case, the lack of response.
- Size of the intraoral scanner: Not only the size of the intraoral scanner head was taken into account, but the weight and overall size. Although, judging by overall size, some scanners are heavier and more cumbersome than others. The focus has been on ergonomics, weight and in general, how comfortable the scanner feels in the hand and when scanning. li>Ease of use: This criterion takes into account both the hardware and the way the software was managed or if there were any problems with scanning, processing and the general workflow.< /li>
- Price of the intraoral scanner: another of the criteria that dentists consider quite important is the price, since this can vary depending on cost, accessories, distributors or geographical location. No exact numbers are provided, but rather a relative comparison based on the most expensive and least expensive scanners.
- Subscription requirements and maintenance packages: The subscription requirement for the use of the intraoral scanner may be mandatory, recommended or not required. The evaluation has been carried out based on this, as some companies claim that they do not require any type of subscription, but sometimes this is not entirely true. Many have some type of annual subscription for support and maintenance and others even require a subscription to be able to use them.
- Open or Closed Scan Export: All scanners are now open, allowing at least one of the following STL, OBJ and/or PLY source files to be exported, however, they did not have take this criterion into account for the assessment.
- Autoclaving Scanning Tips: Whether the tips can be autoclaved and how many cycles they can be completed before replacing them.
- Touch screen: intraoral scanners connected to carts actually have a touch screen. This does not apply to those that connect to a laptop via a USB port as the screen will work with a touch screen, but not all software was designed with touch interaction in mind and can be better operated with a mouse and keyboard.< /li>
- Wireless Scanner:Rating is based on whether there are wireless options available for the scanner or not.
- Cavity detection: This criterion is based on whether or not the intraoral scanner has the caries detection function such as transillumination or fluorescence.
- CAD Integration: You may wonder if the scanner has built-in CAD/CAM design capabilities. If not, you will have to export the files and the prostheses will have to be designed in third-party software such as Exocad.
Comparison of intraoral scanners:
Medit i500
- The i500 from Medit provides a scanning experience that rivals with some of the best scanners on the market and only for a fraction of the price.
- It is one of the lightest intraoral scanners on the market (276g).
- Basic construction quality but that does not affect its performance in any way, only that compared to its competitors, these usually have more materials and colors.
- Affordably priced, with no subscription cost.
- Allows you to export scanned files in STL, OBJ, PLY formats.
- The first 20GB is free, after this, you can use it by paying the cost for cloud use.
- Updates incredibly fast. Almost once a month, something is optimized or added.
- The team behind Medit is almost always available to help troubleshoot online.
- The scanner requires an online connection to operate. Although it has an offline mode that can be used offline for approximately 2 weeks.
And what about the Medit i700 scanner?
Medit i500 vs i700! You have all the advantages of Medit i500, but also the following:
- You can connect it directly to a computer through a single cable, without a power hub or the need for additional cables, improving its mobility and maintenance.
- In addition, the Medit i700 scanner is a 25% smaller and 12% lighter than the i500.
- And if that were not enough, compared to its predecessor, the Medit i700 scanner doubles the scanning speed and has greater depth and quality of color expression.
BenQ BIS 1
- BenQ BIS 1 intraoral scanner for all specialties in Dentistry.
- High-precision scanning with artificial intelligence to obtain excellent quality prints in just a few minutes.
- Gesture motion control.
- DLP technology and the high resolution of the camera, the scanner faithfully acquires the colors of the teeth.
- With interactive guides and the new intuitive IntraOralScan software.
- Describes and displays 3D HD images.
- It has LED light rings to indicate the status of the scanner.
3Shape Trios 4
- The 3Shape Trios 4 intraoral scanner is one of the fastest on the market, although it has the same speed as the Trios 3, it presents considerable improvements in both hardware, software and functionality.
- It has a modern and elegant design.
- A full arch scan is performed intraorally in just 25 seconds.
- For caries detection, a second scan is necessary that is superimposed on the digital model. It does this through fluorescence technology built into the scanner. Through a color map, it shows areas of fluorescence in which active caries sites may exist. In addition, they will soon launch a scanning tip for detecting interproximal caries that will be carried out using transillumination
- It has intelligent scanning tips, so it is not necessary to wait for it to warm up to start work.
- It is the only intraoral scanner with a completely wireless option.
- It offers intelligent advice that allows you to know how many times it has been sterilized. 150 maximum cycles are recommended before replacement.
- They have improved battery life by 30%.
- The scope of the Trios 4 has improved, including clear aligners, dentures, sleeping aids and splints.
- The wireless model of the scanner can be plug and play if the battery runs out.
- Do you want to know more about the 3Shape Trios 4? click here.
Dentsply Sirona Primescan
- The Primescan Intraoral Scanner from Dentsply Sirona has a very fast scanning speed. li>
- It is clearly the fastest scanner on the market.
- As for the scanning flow, it is extremely smooth. It provides one of the smoothest scanning experiences and has no delay compared to all scanners.
- The Primescan is very large compared to the Omnicam which was one of the smallest.
- For cross infection control, two stainless steel scanning tips have been launched, one is autoclavable and the other is not. A single-use plastic scan tip is also available.
- Just as it is the fastest intraoral scanner, it is also the heaviest (457g or 524g, depending on the scanner case you use). The Omnicam weighed 316 grams.
- It does not have the functionality to detect cavities.
- The heater/fan is now the same as most scanners on the market, it is no longer on the cart and is now internal.
- The scanner still remains connected to the cart, however the cart is wireless and can be used offline for at least 60 minutes.
- Data processing is very good, requiring little to no waiting time between scans.
- The car has improved screen size, it is larger than the Omnicam and it is also touch-sensitive. Likewise, they have replaced the trackball with a touch pad.
- The user interface now looks much more elegant and modern.
- Do you want to know more about Primescan from Dentsply Sirona? Watch the video by clicking here.
Planmeca Emerald S
- Planmeca presented at the IDS improvements in hardware and software of its previous version, the Emerald.
- Compared to the Emerald, the Emerald S is much faster.
- Light weight (235 grams) which is considered light for its size.
- To perform the full arc scan, the protocol must be carried out correctly, otherwise it presents problems in correctly joining the images. Once the correct scanning protocol is used, all of this is avoided.
- It has a ceramic tip that uses transillumination technology. This can be used to detect interproximal caries.
- There are 2 different scanner heads available, including a smaller scanner head called the Slimline Tip and the original Emerald Scanner scanner tip, which is quite large.
- The user interface and software have improved. The software looks much more modern and works very well.
- Romexis 6.0 also received a lot of great software additions and now has an impressive range of different indications.
- Do you want to know more about the Planmeca Emerald S? Visit their web page or watch the video by clicking here.
Carestream CS3700
- The speed of CS3700 from Carestream surpasses its previous version , the CS3600, by 30%. However, it is not the fastest on the market.
- The intraoral scanner has a wide focal length, that is, the scanner can be placed away from the tooth or on it and either way it captures the image well.
- It has three scan tips available, standard, smaller and a laterally oriented scan tip.
- Weights 316 gr.
- Scanning software works well, looks modern, however has limited analysis tools.
- The system and software offer touch screen support.
- Do you want to know more about the Carestream CS3700? Visit their website .
Dental Wings Virtuo Vivo
- Virtuo Vivo by Dental Wings is an update to the previous version of Dental Wings.
- It is the only one with a pen-type design, very small when held, making it one of the lightest on the market.
- The hardware has changed a lot.
- Full color scanning.
- The scanner does a good job, can pick up where it left off when scanning is paused and generally has a smooth scanning experience, however, it is not very fast.
- Has a preferred connection with Clear Correct aligners built into the software, similar to iTero and Invisalign.
- You have your own software for designing restorations and this seemed to work well for a single restoration. It is quite limited in the tools available when compared to other systems. (For example, Exocad).
- Do you want to know more about the Dental Wings Vivo Virtuo? Visit their website.
Vatech EzScan
- Vatech has not yet released its prototype, but it is another of the low-cost scanners exhibited at IDS.
- It is very small in size and quite light in weight (165gr)
- Scan speed and flow are average.
- The software is relatively basic but looks modern and has a simple and easy-to-use user interface.
- They are still undergoing improvements.
- It's a very basic scanner that gets the job done and could fit into a low-cost niche.
- Do you want to know more about the Vatech EzScan? Watch the video by clicking here.
Shinning 3D Aoralscan
- Aoralscan by Shining 3D will be launched soon, it is another low-cost intraoral scanner.
- The speed is not fast, nor particularly smooth. During the scan, the software stops processing it when it receives a lot of data, so stopping and restarting could be annoying.
- It has 2 different scanning tips available for different scanning angles.
- It is the scanner on the market with the lowest cost.
- The build quality seems very low.
- It is of average weight and size. It is not too big, although compared to others, it is.
- They are working on software development. At the moment, it works in a very basic way with a few tools available, such as undercut verification, bite maps, margin line extraction and tooth marking.
- Do you want to know more about Aoralscan? Visit their website here.
This is our article Comparison of intraoral scanners: Which is the best for your dental clinic?. We hope this comparison has been useful to you. To stay updated, follow us on our social networks, there we share more articles, offers and promotions from the dental sector. We are waiting for you!