ENG
Table of Contents
The integration of digital scanning into clinical dentistry has fundamentally changed how dental professionals diagnose, plan, and deliver treatment.
Dental intraoral scanners have emerged as a pivotal technology, replacing traditional impressions with high-resolution digital models that improve both clinical accuracy and patient experience. However, this shift brings a new challenge: which scanner offers the best fit for a particular dental practice?
Among various products, many dentists encounter a lack of clear and comparative information when trying to assess scanner performance in real-world settings. Selecting the right device requires a deeper understanding of several technical, clinical, and operational aspects.
Today’s blog outlines the most important factors to consider before making a purchase decision. Continue reading to learn more!
What to Know Before Buying Dental Intraoral Scanners?
In fact, many brands of intraoral scanners in dentistry share some similarities. What’s important is to compare the following aspects:
1. How Accurate and Efficient is the Scanner?
A scanner’s clinical value depends on how precisely and consistently it captures intraoral structures. Accuracy refers to the scanner’s ability to consistently produce the same images with repeatable results. High-precision scanners offer micron-level accuracy, ensuring precise reproduction of oral details. For example, SHINING 3D DENTAL’s IPG (Intraoral photogrammetry) intraoral scanner, including the Aoralscan Elite and Aoralscan Elite Wireless, maintain high precision even in edentulous scanning scenarios, enabling passive fit between multiple implants.
Moreover, the dental intraoral scanner should complete full-arch scans without frequent rescans or lag as you move from one part of the mouth to another. The faster the scanning speed (minutes used for every scan), the better the patient experience—indicating higher efficiency.
2. What’s the Image Quality Like?
Any dental intraoral scanner you choose must produce sharp, clear visuals that reflect fine margins, soft tissue, and occlusal relation with minimal distortion.
Realistic colour rendering and smooth image stitching make it easier to verify scan accuracy and explain findings to patients. On the other hand, low image quality can delay lab work and increase the risk of remakes.
Thus, before ordering intraoral scanners, remember to carefully review the sample images provided by the manufacturer.
3. What Software Features Does it Offer?
The software system of the scanner you choose determines its scope of application and also affects the product price. Key features to consider include:
- Fast data handling, stable processing, and integration with your workflow.
- Useful features include orthodontic simulation, smile design, and 3D model builder. This makes dental work more time-efficient and facilitates patient communication.
- Compatibility with CAD/CAM platforms is essential for clinics offering same-day dentistry or in-house manufacturing.
Systems that provide streamlined and intuitive software will reduce training time and minimize disruptions.
4. Is it an Open or Closed System?
Open systems allow files to be exported in universal formats like STL, OBT, or PLY and shared freely with labs or design platforms. STL files are monochrome, while OBT and PLY files are in color.
Closed systems may limit file use to proprietary tools and restrict collaboration. Clinics planning to expand digital services or work with multiple vendors will benefit from the flexibility of an open system.
5. What Treatments Can It Support?
If you’re considering investing in an intraoral scanner for the first time, you might mistakenly assume that most devices offer similar functionality—but this is far from the truth. A fully-featured dental intraoral scanner significantly expands the range of procedures you can perform in your clinic!
It should handle a wide range of procedures, from single crowns to full-arch orthodontics and implant planning.
Cases involving edentulous arches or common implants demand higher image clarity and deeper scan accuracy. Scanners with IPG technology perform well in such applications, offering more reliable soft tissue capture and better definition in low-contrast areas.
6. Is the Design User- and Patient-Friendly?
The intraoral scanner design directly impacts operation convenience and patient comfort. You need to consider:
- A lightweight design (under 200g) with an ergonomic grip reduces strain on dentists’ hands while improving operational stability.
- An appropriately sized scanning tip facilitates access to posterior teeth and children patients, minimizing discomfort from prolonged mouth opening.
- Removable, autoclavable tips support hygiene. The system also allows for interchangeable scanning tips as needed.
- Wireless options improve chairside mobility.
Design affects both the clinician’s workflow and the patient’s experience, so size, weight, and connectivity options should be evaluated carefully.
7. How to Disinfect and Maintain It?
Before purchasing dental intraoral scanners, be sure to ask the supplier:
- Can the scan body withstand autoclave sterilization?
- Or is it only suitable for disinfection wipes?
A detachable scan body design enables more thorough sterilization. During busy clinic hours, this feature also improves operational efficiency and protects sensitive patients.
It is also important to understand the scanner’s calibration requirements and how often service or updates will be needed. A scanner that is easy to maintain will be more reliable and convenient over time.
8. What’s the Expected Return on Investment?
The ROI of dental intraoral scanners should be comprehensively evaluated by considering procurement costs, efficiency gains, and revenue growth. Ongoing costs such as software subscriptions, replacement parts, or upgrades must be considered alongside the initial price.
Then, by taking into account the daily patient volume, the savings in material costs and time for dental impressions, and the support for high-value-added projects (such as full-mouth implants), you can conduct a reasonable analysis to balance costs and profits.
9. Does it Offer Training and Technical Support?
After purchasing the scanner, whether you receive ongoing operational training and troubleshooting support—along with the provider’s response time—will determine your long-term experience.
Look for manufacturers that offer detailed training, responsive technical help, and access to software updates. Companies that invest in education and long-term user support tend to have better overall satisfaction among clinicians.
10. What Do Other Dentists Say?
First-hand feedback reveals how the dental intraoral scanner performs under real clinical conditions. Dentists often share insights about scan speed, reliability, and support quality that do not appear in product listings. You can find this information through social media platforms, e-commerce sites, and dental professional communities.
Peer reviews from similar practice types can guide better decisions and help identify models that consistently perform well in daily use.
Where to Buy Dental Intraoral Scanners?
For clinics seeking a high-performance intraoral dental scanner with broad clinical versatility, SHINING 3D DENTAL offers one of the most advanced solutions available. The Aoralscan Elite Wireless and Aoralscan Elite combines intraoral scanning and intraoral photogrammetry in one compact and wireless device.
Equipped with IPG technology, this 3D intraoral scanner is ideal for both everyday cases and full-arch implant workflows. It captures highly precise (5μm) implant positions and supports immediate loading cases through its advanced Cap Scanbody system, which maintains soft tissue-implant alignment in complex conditions.
Weighing only 194 g with an ergonomic design, the digital dental scanner is designed for comfort and ease of use across long procedures. This photogrammetry 3D scanner also features multiple scan tip sizes, wireless connectivity using Wi-Fi 6, and fast data transfer with full support for open file formats such as STL, OBJ, and PLY.
This intraoral 3d scanner also integrates smoothly into digital workflows with cloud-based patient management and compatibility with CAD/CAM systems. All these contribute to a more efficient clinic!
Final Words
Selecting a dental intraoral scanner requires careful attention to accuracy, image quality, software, usability, and other factors mentioned above. SHINING 3D DENTAL brings a reliable solution with the Aoralscan Elite Wireless, combining high precision, IPG technology, and wireless convenience. Contact us now to experience more!