Dental Scanner Buying Guide: 5 Mistakes to Avoid
Digital intraoral scanners are becoming a rapid essential tool in modern dentistry. They provide significant benefits on traditional impact methods, including better efficiency, enhanced p atient comfort and expanded treatment possibilities. However, careful consideration is required to choose the right dental scanner for your practice.
Maximizes your return to investment
Making wrong decisions can lead to an expensive investment that does not meet your needs, disrupts your workflow, and eventually disappoints both you and your team. This comprehensive purchase guide will expose five important mistakes. Dentists often do when purchasing a dental scanner, helping you make an informed decision and maximizes your return to investment.
Mistake 1: Underestimating the Importance of Accuracy
The accuracy is the foundation of successful restorative dental, orthodontics and transplant processes. A wrong scan can cause sick-fitting restore, require expensive remakes, the chair time may increase, and the patient will be dissatisfied. Even appears to have significant consequences of small impurities, compromising long -term success of treatment.
When evaluating a dental scanner, do not rely on marketing claims only. For solid specifications about accuracy, often measured in micron (micron). Request the sample scan to the seller and, if possible, compare them to scan them with other systems. Consider independent reviews and case studies that display the actual world performance of the scanner. Remember, investing in highly accurate scanners is an investment in the quality of your work and satisfaction of your patients. Give priority to the scanner known for your preciseness and reliability.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Workflow Integration and Compatibility
Your dental scanner does not work in isolation. It needs to be integrated with your current practice management system (PMS) and any CAD/CAM software you use (or plan to use) for designing and construction. Inconsistency can create important workflow hurdles, require manual data transfer, increase the risk of errors, and add unnecessary time to your processes.
Before being committed to purchase, verify the compatibility of the scanner with your current software. Ask the seller about file formats scanner output (most STL and ply) and whether these formats are directly importable to your PMS and CAD/CAM system. If you are considering switching the software in the future, make sure the scanner is compatible with a wide range of options. Spontaneous integration is important for a smooth and efficient digital workflow.
Mistake 3: Focusing Solely on Price
While the budget is undoubtedly a factor, choosing a dental scanner based on the lowest price perfectly can be an expensive mistake in the long run. Cheap scanners can compromise on accuracy, speed, facilities or reliability. It may be an enlarged remake, prolonged scan time, limited treatment options and ultimately, low returns on investment.
Instead of focusing on the initial procurement price, consider the total cost of ownership. This includes such factors:
- Training Cost: How much training is involved, and it is on site or online?
- Maintenance and repair cost: What is the warranty period, and what are specific maintenance expenses?
- Software Membership Fee: Are the ongoing costs for software updates or support?
- Possible lost revenue: A low efficient or less accurate scanner can lead to lose chair time and less complete processes.
A high early investment in more competent and reliable scanners can often pay for themselves through increased efficiency, better patient results and expanded treatment capabilities.
Mistake 4: Neglecting Training and Support
Even the most advanced dental scanner is only as good as the team using it. Proper training is necessary for your employees to become skilled in scanning techniques, data management and troubleshooting. Inadequate training can lead to scanner, increased errors and disabled use of overall disappointment.
When evaluating vendors, give priority to those who provide comprehensive training programs. Ideally, it should include training on hands in its own practice, as well as the support running through online resources, phone support and potentially released education courses. A strong support system ensures that your team confidently uses the scanner with its full potential and resolve any issues that arise quickly.
Mistake 5: Overlooking Ease of Use and Ergonomics
Ease of using ergonomics and a dental scanner greatly affects both the dentist and the patient’s experience. A heavy, heavy, or strangely designed scanner can cause a user fatigue, difficulty reaching all areas of the mouth, and the patient’s discomfort may increase.
Before making the decision, request a performance on the scanner’s hands. Pay attention to its size, weight and overall experience. consider the following:
Tip size: Is the scanner tip quite small which reaches all areas of the mouth comfortably, even in limited opening patients?
Weight and balance: Is the scanner comfortable to hold and maneuver for extended periods?
Cord Management: Is the cord quite long and flexible that allows easy movement around the patient?
User Interface: Is the software comfortable and easy to navigate?
A scanner that is comfortable and easy to use, will improve your workflow, reduce stress, and increase the overall patient experience.
Conclusion:
Investing in a dental scanner is an important decision that can change your practice. By avoiding these five common mistakes – by reducing accuracy, ignoring compatibility, focusing completely on price, ignoring training, and ignoring ergonomics – you can choose a scanner that actually causes your needs, enhances your workflow, and eventually benefits both you and your patients. Take time out to do research on your options, ask the right questions, and prefer a scanner that provides the best combination of accuracy, reliability, ease of use and long -term value. Request a demo today to start your journey towards more efficient and digitally advanced practice!
