The dental industry is undergoing a period of rapid change and the digital revolution is fully underway. As oral scanners become the standard of practice rather than the distant future of dentistry, we regularly speak to dentists who are ready to step into the world of digital but, as there are now so may oral scanners on the market, just haven’t decided what equipment to proceed with. For those customers we have some advice. Here are some things you should consider before buying an oral scanner. 

Ease of Use

If your equipment is not straightforward and simple to use, you are never going to utilise it to the best of its capabilities no matter how expensive it was. The software has to be easy for you and your team to understand, an uncomplicated computer interface is crucial and timesaving.  The process of taking a scan must be smooth and uncomplicated for your practice to reap the many benefits of taking a digital impression, take some time and find a system that works for you and your team.

Return on Investment

Buying any piece of digital equipment is an investment and one you want to make sure you get right. How do you get a sufficient return on your oral scanner purchase? You want to make sure you can create the restorations that are right for your practice: choose a system that allows you to select from a wide range of indications, meaning the scanner becomes viable for your business. You want to choose a scanner that fits the everyday requirements of your business. The greatest savings, however, lie within the reduced chairtime possible. Faster impression taking, quicker turnaround times and fewer adjustments allows dentists to see additional patients in the saved time. It’s not difficult to image the time you can save when the 3Shape TRIOS 3 allows you to take a full arch scan in under 30 seconds.  

Support We understand that no one can pick up a new technology and become an expert overnight and that a learning curve is just part and parcel of owning a new piece of equipment. What you really need to consider through, is when you purchase your scanner of choice whether it comes with the type of advice and education options your team will need. For this reason you need to carefully choose where you buy your new equipment. At DTS we pride ourselves on offering an extensive range of education and support options, whatever questions you have about your workflow we will be there to answer and guide you.

Demonstrations

We encourage you to actually see the scanner in action before you make a commitment, try before you buy! Get to know the technology before you spend your hard earned money. If you arrange a demonstration with DTS, we encourage you to book in some patients and put the scanner to the ultimate test by carrying out live patient scanning. This allows you to see how the scanner really works in real life situations and makes it easy to picture digital in your practice.

Accuracy

Accuracy is an undisputed benefit of the digital workflow. Studies have documented that digital impressions improve clinical results and reduce the need for restoration adjustments and remakes. Do your research and make sure you pick a scanner with the highest accuracy available – a study of six different intra-oral scanners by the American Dental Associate found the 3Shape TRIOS to be the most accurate and consistent performer.

Getting your team ready

Before making the leap to digital dentistry and purchasing an Intra-oral scanner, you need to consider whether your practice is ready and, if not, how you are going to prepare your team for a new kind of dentistry. The single handed, number one reason that change fails to work as intended (or as quickly as hoped) is because the team don’t fully understand “why”. Take the time to communicate with your team and establish the type of training you’re going to need. You can find out more about getting your team ready to go digital here.

There are lots of things to consider when getting ready to purchase an intra-oral scanner, no matter the make or model. DTS are here to support you in the decision making process, the implementation of your digital workflow and beyond. Contact us today to find out more!