Overview of Intraoral Dental 3D Scanners



This material is a translation of an article on intraoral 3D dental scanners that were exhibited at the IDS 2017 dental equipment exhibition.




Visitors to the International Dental Exhibition in Cologne, Germany, saw many new devices and programs for dentists.



The abundance of new exhibits at the exhibition is no longer surprising, but this year we were shown an unprecedented number of digital applications, both with standard functionality and conceptually fresh. The exhibition reflected an increase in competition between manufacturers, which is a plus for the end user.



The article, published immediately after the exhibition in Chinese, was later supplemented with fresh information.



The article discusses the intraoral scanners presented at IDS 2017, provides a description for each device based on impressions from the first use, and a comparative table of scanner characteristics.
Note: The

ratings in the article are subjective, they do not take into account such criteria as cost, device design, their programmable functions and differences in the question of the target audience for which they were originally designed.

Review Criteria


Scanning speed

Most intraoral scanners use light to obtain images; the quality of this light decreases when the device is actively working in the oral cavity. Oral cavity tissues, which are often very mobile, the solutions used and the presence of metal surfaces in the scanner, also affect the scanning speed.

Rapid scanning reduces the level of errors that occur with increased bleeding and interaction with soft tissues. An effective scanner should have a good signal-to-noise ratio - a parameter that determines the optimal scanning speed.

Scan Head Size

The smaller size of the scanning heads makes it possible to scan hard-to-reach areas of the oral cavity. Arguments in favor of larger scanning heads - greater grip, i.e. - increase in scanning speed.

Ease of use.

Simplicity and ease of use depend on the optimization of the firmware, the shape and weight of the scanner itself, and the controls. Some devices require special powders. Evaluation by this criterion is associated with eliminating delays and the need to suspend scanning.

Image

acquisition We evaluated image acquisition by the quality of scanning the first time, the availability of complete software and the ability to use the resulting model without additional processing.

Other features interesting to users are considered:

  • The presence of a touch control panel
  • Are special powders required?
  • Remote control
  • Color rendering
  • Hue function

TRIOS 3 (3Shape)





  • Very fast scanner;


  • Updated software and the filling of the line, introduced a wireless model;


  • The wireless model works as fast as the wired scanners of this manufacturer;


  • Software update allows you to manage scanners remotely;


  • The digital monitoring function has appeared, the scanner can be used to examine the oral cavity;


  • More intuitive interface.



Price: 28,000 euros




CEREC Omnicam (Dentsply-Sirona)






  • Omnicam scanners added speed thanks to a new processor and software optimization;


  • The scanning head has not changed - one of the smallest on the market, it is larger than the scanning elements in 3M devices and Dental Wings;


  • In speed and efficiency, Omnicam is not inferior even to the recognized leader in these indicators - 3Shape. This is achieved by a lower resolution of preliminary rendering, which reduces the load on the processor and speeds up processing;


  • In CEREC software versions 4.4 and 4.5, the function of automatic trimming of tissues unnecessary in the scan has been improved, in which 3Shape were ahead of the rest;


  • In recent versions of CEREC software, post-processing is performed during the scan, which speeds up the production of the finished model.




51,000 euros




CS3600 (Carestream)







  • Compared to the CS3500, which made a scan based on static images, the CS3600 uses video recording, which increases efficiency;


  • Scanning speed is not high, but acceptable;


  • The size of the scanning head is small, but the resolution is good, with a format selection function;


  • The software still suffers from disadvantages such as the inability to simulate multiple restorations simultaneously.




Price on request




Emerald (Planmeca)







  • Scanning speed is increased, in comparison with devices of this manufacturer of the previous generation;


  • Scanning heads are still not removable. The manufacturer promises to make them smaller;


  • Efficiency comparable to CS3600;


  • Areas that the software allows you to scan as accurately as possible are highlighted on the screen, which implies that the user will have to constantly look there during work;


  • The advantage over the Carestream device is its more optimized software, comparable to CEREC.




Price on request




DWOS (Dental Wings)







  • DWOS scanning heads have an original design and additional sensors located at an angle relative to the central camera;


  • Scan speed is low;


  • The scanner design allows you to immediately cover the entire dental arch;


  • The ability to control software with hand gestures: for example, just swipe your finger in front of the screen to control the peripheral camera;


  • The gesture control system resembles the 3Shape remote control system;


  • The scanning head is equipped with light indicators that warn of difficulties in the scanning process - the user is forced to constantly look at the scanner during operation;


  • Real-time data synchronization between the scanner and the computer provides automatic display of implants on the model;


  • DWOS scanners have many innovative ideas. We hope that they will receive proper development in the future.




Price on request




True definition (3M)







  • 3M True definition comes with a control module with support for Microsoft Surface, it connects to the scanner via USB;


  • Маленькая сканирующая головка;


  • Скорость приемлемая;


  • Необходим порошок для сканирования, это минус;


  • ПО в процессе сканирования показывает лишь модель, не проецируя на нее возможных изменений. В этом основное отличие от других устройств — пользователь не имеет визуального представления, куда в следующий момент следует направить сканер. Особенно неудобно в случае прерывания процесса сканирования;


  • Для решения вышеописанной проблемы разработчики снабдили сканер отдельными индикаторами на экране, которые призваны указать, с какого места следует продолжить сканирование. Спорное решение;


  • Отсутствует возможность прямого заполнения «дыр» в модели. Пользователю необходимо запоминать, где эти пропуски находятся, и сканировать данные области заново, после чего ПО совмещает изображения;


  • Главное преимущество — мобильность;


  • Disadvantages, including the need for powder and lack of color rendering, make you think about choosing a device from another manufacturer.




Price on request




Aadva (GC)







  • Scanning speed is acceptable;


  • There are practically no errors;


  • The body design is ergonomic;


  • Large and not very convenient scanning head;


  • Developers do not recommend scanning large areas, this may affect the final accuracy of the model;


  • There is no modeling software: the obtained data has to be exported to the STL format.




Price on request




iTero (Align)







  • ITero scanners, along with 3Shape, are one of the first devices in which they began to use confocal microscopy to obtain images;


  • Used to obtain complete orthodontic photographs in the manufacture of Invisaline eliners;


  • Scanning speed is high;


  • Bulky and heavy, it will be difficult for an inexperienced user to scan with one hand;


  • The developers promise to include in the software the ability to create denture models, which will expand the scope of these devices.




Price on request



MyCrown (Fona)







  • Fona is very similar to the old Bluecam Sirona;


  • Fona is a division of Sirona, used in software devices in the same way, but there may be some additional functions;


  • It is necessary to use powder;


  • The scanner has a bright light source;


  • Reminiscent of early CEREC devices, with less optimized software and reduced scanning efficiency.




Price on request


VIZ (Adin)







  • A scanner whose thickness does not allow you to comfortably hold it in your hand;


  • Probably the lowest scanning speed of all presented devices;


  • The resolution of the model after post-processing is low - polygons are well distinguishable;


  • The main advantage is the cost. According to the manufacturer - “This is the best scanner in its price category”, with which we fundamentally disagree;


  • The software supports touch control if it is supported by a laptop connected to the device.




Price on request

Conclusion


After the publication of the original version of the article, the authors received many reviews from indignant suppliers, which is not surprising - such ratings always imply that some devices lose to others. We emphasize once again that the review is based on the first and very subjective impression of the use of various intraoral scanners. In addition, the applied criteria are not able to give a complete picture of the devices - some users may like to work with the scanner, which is criticized here.


The table below contains data on the comparison of various intraoral scanners with IDS 2017. Points by criteria give a general idea of ​​a particular device, its performance and ease of use. This review is devoted directly to scanners - all other stages of the workflow were not taken into account by the authors. Some devices, such as Condor and 3M, come without the software and additional hardware that is present with other scanners, such as Planmeca and Sirona.

We recommend that you do not use this table to select the "best" scanner.

The main purpose of the review is not to identify winners and losers, but to provide information on the latest developments in the field of dentistry, which can be difficult for users to find.

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