When it comes to deciding whether to invest in an intraoral scanner, Terry Patuzzo is hard-pressed to think of any reasons not to.
Like any decision, deciding whether to purchase digital equipment for your practice should be a simple case of weighing up the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’. When it comes to intraoral scanners though, it becomes obvious pretty quickly that the scales are heavily weighted on one side.
Unprecedented accuracy and detail
Compared to conventional impressions, the accuracy and detail in the digital impressions that intraoral scanners deliver is off the scale completely. Clinicians are able to see their patients’ dentition in full colour, 3D, rotatable magnification, making diagnosis and treatment planning much easier.
For those intraoral scanners with guided scanning like the Cerec Omnicam, the operator can check the scan as they go along and ensure they re-capture any areas they may have missed and ‘stitch’ it in to create the full picture – to get it right first time.
Patients far prefer a digital scan
Traditional impressions can be time-consuming, messy and uncomfortable. An advantage for both patient and clinical team is how much quicker a digital scan is. A full-mouth scan can be completed in minutes, which releases the patient earlier and reduces costly chair time. Having a small camera head scanned over your teeth is also much more comfortable and with the powder-free scanners like the Cerec Omnicam, there is no mess at all.
Improves communication with both patient and lab
Once the digital impression has been completed it can be immediately transferred electronically to the digitally-enabled lab of your choice. Digital communication is instant and allows the lab to get on with designing the restoration or orthodontic device even before your patient has left the surgery.
The life-like representation of your patient’s teeth and ability to virtually trial different treatment options before work is started can also vastly improve patient education and acceptance of the treatment you are proposing.
Standalone or as part of a full chairside system
Intraoral scanners are an investment, but if you pick one without ongoing licence fees, they are a one-off cost that can be planned for and which soon pays for itself by reducing the number of remakes and speeding up treatment times.
Intraoral scanners can function as a straight digital replacement for traditional impressions so you don’t have to invest in any other equipment if you don’t want to. On the other hand, they can be your first step towards converting your workflow over to digital if that is your aim, bringing even more control and predictability to your work and enabling you to offer genuine same-day dentistry to your patients.
Choose your scanner, experience how it will transform your work and then decide whether you want to add more digital equipment to your practice. There’s literally nothing to lose.
It’s not about whether, but which one to buy!
There’s a growing consensus that it’s not so much about whether to buy an intraoral scanner anymore, it’s deciding which one. The Cerec Omnicam offers powder-free scanning, unrivalled handling and precise 3D (full-jaw) scans in natural colour. The sleek and lightweight wand naturally fits in your hand, making the scan easy, intuitive and ergonomic.
Accurate colour and shade detection makes it possible to differentiate between different materials and shades and also enables the exact definition of the preparation margin in the design process. The open file format of the digital images makes them compatible with the majority of design software and lab equipment to make it incredibly versatile.
Deciding whether to buy a Cerec Omnicam will be one of the easiest decisions you’ll ever make.
Visit the Dentsply Sirona stand I31 at BDIA Dental Showcase 2018, 4-6 October, Excel, London, and try the Cerec Omnicam for yourself.
To find out more about the extensive range of digital solutions, materials and equipment, please visit dentsplysirona.com or call us on 01932 853 422.
Facebook: @dentsplysirona.uk
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