I've been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Frank DeLuca this past year. He is always pleasant, willing to help, responsive to my questions and extremely knowledgeable. I highly recommend Frank!! - 12/16/2021
Aaron S
Great ongoing support and customer assistance. Been working with Frank for years, even before cad ray. Always there for any help i ever need. Cad ray support is like no other. - 1/26/2023
Robert Crosby
The i700 is the second scanner I have purchased. It is hands down far superior in terms of quality and ease of use than my first scanner (3M Tru Def). I was hesitant to enter the market again but wanted to mainly for implant reasons. After talking...read moreThe i700 is the second scanner I have purchased. It is hands down far superior in terms of quality and ease of use than my first scanner (3M Tru Def). I was hesitant to enter the market again but wanted to mainly for implant reasons. After talking with Laura and watching her presentation with my staff, we were sold! The i700 was extremely reasonable in price while being similar to units costing twice as much. CAD-Ray made this possible. I found their on line training to be adequate in learning the necessary skills to start scanning, I continue to watch these videos as I sharpen my skills. Initially I was concerned about the on line training. But now I actually prefer this way of training as it is self paced and you always have the library of videos to watch when needed. Laura has been there to answer questions and help me whenever needed and I’m talking on nights and weekends too! I admit I was was extremely hesitant to get another scanner, especially with an online outfit; but I have no regrets and highly recommend CAD-Ray and Laura for anyone needing a scanner! They provide excellent services.read less - 4/23/2022
Oleg Eisenstein
Great products and services. Highly recommended - 6/16/2020
Medit i700 intraoral scanner is the first scanner that I actually used on my patients. Before I put my hands on it, I had some prejudices against all scanners. They were bulky, laggy in capturing the images, etc. When I finally had the chance to use ...read moreMedit i700 intraoral scanner is the first scanner that I actually used on my patients. Before I put my hands on it, I had some prejudices against all scanners. They were bulky, laggy in capturing the images, etc. When I finally had the chance to use an intraoral scanner and get introductory training with Laura from CAD-RAY a few weeks ago, I totally changed my view of this product. Very soon, I was able to scan crown, bridge, and even denture cases. Of course, I have had some knowledge about the digital scanner from CEs provided in the past, but being able to apply it in the daily practice in such a short time was beyond my expectations. I would highly recommend MEDIT i700 and training from CAD-RAY.
Big thanks to Laura!
-Lei Fu, D.D.S.read less - 9/12/2021
Cad-Ray has been awesome to work with, very knowledgeable and quick to respond. Nick has been answering all my questions since day 1 and made the entire process of purchasing the Medit i700 a breeze. Can't believe how quick the product shipped and ca...read moreCad-Ray has been awesome to work with, very knowledgeable and quick to respond. Nick has been answering all my questions since day 1 and made the entire process of purchasing the Medit i700 a breeze. Can't believe how quick the product shipped and cannot wait to start scanning with it!read less - 12/15/2021
Se ve muy bien, aunque yo le tengo, pánico, a los Dentistas, Sorry, pero tengo que ir, Ni modo - 2/25/2015
Kelly Betts
Customer service has always been top-notch! I personally worked with Wayne Glassoff and he has been super helpful getting our office up and running with 3D printing and has always been a great resource and highly responsive whenever I need anything o...read moreCustomer service has always been top-notch! I personally worked with Wayne Glassoff and he has been super helpful getting our office up and running with 3D printing and has always been a great resource and highly responsive whenever I need anything or have any questions.read less - 9/24/2022
Jaspreet Ghuman
Shout out to Nick, Frank and Armen ! Cheers . Great customer service by Nick and Frank. Too early to make a comment about the scanner but these guys are awesome. - 9/19/2020
Tiffany Lee
Update to CAD-Ray as this company has morphed into something even better and grander than it was previously. This is the company where you go to when you need a scanner or 3d printer. Their customer service is second to none and their training on sca...read moreUpdate to CAD-Ray as this company has morphed into something even better and grander than it was previously. This is the company where you go to when you need a scanner or 3d printer. Their customer service is second to none and their training on scanners is top level. Don't buy your scanners anywhere else because Cad-Ray is the only company who knows how to solve any of your problems and provides the best technical support. I recently had purchased a software to mill crowns from my medit to my MCXL. No body could get it to work.12 months in and I was resigned to it not working and not being able to mill in house. With Cad-Ray's tremendous hard work, we were able to get the milling unit synchronized to the inlab and inlab synchronized to clinux and clinux meshed to medit. I am now milling scanned crowns for the first time in about 12 months. Yay Cad-Ray, Thank you!!!!!read less - 3/06/2024
Anthony Vu
If you are looking to buy a Medit, you shouldn't look anywhere else to buy it. My Medit i700 was having issues on a Friday and I was able to get Heather from Cad-Ray to troubleshoot the issue. She remoted into my computer to try and troubleshoot the ...read moreIf you are looking to buy a Medit, you shouldn't look anywhere else to buy it. My Medit i700 was having issues on a Friday and I was able to get Heather from Cad-Ray to troubleshoot the issue. She remoted into my computer to try and troubleshoot the issue and helped with getting Medit on board as well. Once it was confirmed it was a hardware issue, I got sent a BRAND NEW Medit i700 OVERNIGHT.Can you believe that? Service and warranty that Cad-Ray offers is really TOP NOTCH.Highly Recommend Cad-Ray for all things MEDIT. Thank you Heather from Cad-Ray for all your help!!!read less - 2/02/2022
Lake Shore Dental of Tempe
Absolutely the best customer service I have ever seen. I couldn't be happier with the service received. I won't be going anywhere else!! Thank you again. - 2/01/2022
Andrew Cole
The D.I.Y. Medit i500 package was right for me. I bought a nice gaming PC for my 2 operative rooms, downloaded the software, watched some videos, and started scanning. It's really easy to use, my crowns fit better with fewer adjustments, and they cos...read moreThe D.I.Y. Medit i500 package was right for me. I bought a nice gaming PC for my 2 operative rooms, downloaded the software, watched some videos, and started scanning. It's really easy to use, my crowns fit better with fewer adjustments, and they cost less because they are made model-less and without impression materials. I will start to see a return on investment in less than 2 years and it makes my work more fun, and I can deliver better results. Armen puts on a 2 day course which is very helpful to refine your technique. Start with watching the videos, scan your employees, and then use it on patients. I considered buying an iTero Element 2 and I'm so glad I didn't. The Medit is smaller, as good or better, and it costs ~$25,000 less over the course of 5 years. Ongoing fees for other scanners are a joke. Medit keeps providing updates that make the software even better and there are no additional charges.read less - 3/29/2020
I bought a scanner from Nick Statly at Cad-ray a few months back and have nothing but good things to say about them. They were very helpful with setting up my computer that's linked to the scanner and since then have been very eager to help with ques...read moreI bought a scanner from Nick Statly at Cad-ray a few months back and have nothing but good things to say about them. They were very helpful with setting up my computer that's linked to the scanner and since then have been very eager to help with questions that I had regarding the system.read less - 12/08/2021
Anita Madhav
Absolutely love Laura. She was my initial contact and is an amazing resource for any questions even months later. Would highly recommend buying from Cad Ray especially Laura! - 6/28/2022
Rebecca Booth
Great scanner easy to use with the software. Definitely recommend the i700 scanner. Great customer service from Laura. - 12/09/2021
Roger Wilson
CAD-Ray provides the best support around. I started scanning with Medit i500 in 2018 and my dental practice immediately changed for the better.As a rookie, I had a lot of questions and I calledCAD-Ray a lot in the beginning. They were great!Jonathan...read moreCAD-Ray provides the best support around. I started scanning with Medit i500 in 2018 and my dental practice immediately changed for the better.As a rookie, I had a lot of questions and I calledCAD-Ray a lot in the beginning. They were great!Jonathan Acker helped me get set up. Frank Weinstein answered tons of questions. Laura Geney became an important source of information as I moved into scan bodies, AI library, and had hardware questions. I’ve attended classes in Dallas featuring Armen Mirzayan who is incredibly knowledgeable and will tell you the good, bad, and the ugly about digital workflow. The possibilities are endless with scanning technology. I also want to mention Nick Statly who has visited my Dallas office and is a wealth of information. I have to admit that I frequently view the CAD-Ray User Group Face Book page just to pick up a few pearls here and there.I highly recommend CAD-Ray because their support is by far the best in the IOS industry and because their people honestly care about the customer and are truly committed to your success.read less - 12/23/2021
Lisa Greenstein
Exceptional customer service - 7/26/2023
Bracy Haynie
I have had the wonderful experience of working with Ryan at Cad-Ray for the last several weeks and he has been very professional and informative on how to properly use the Medit I700 scanner with regard to the software. I would highly recommend using...read moreI have had the wonderful experience of working with Ryan at Cad-Ray for the last several weeks and he has been very professional and informative on how to properly use the Medit I700 scanner with regard to the software. I would highly recommend using Cad-Ray and contacting Ryan for any of your Medit needs.read less - 1/27/2023
Alex Vo
Great service and scanner support! Company delivers well above my expectations! Love my medit scanner. - 1/29/2023
Jeff Muszynski
Fantastic customer service - 6/19/2020
Dennis Wong
Best support ever. They are super responsive when a problem occurred, and immediately set up a support ticket with the vendor who contacted me within the hour to help me to solve the problem. - 7/27/2023
Michael Pagano (CPT Pagano)
I bought a Medit i500 from Cad-Ray. The service was fantastic. This group also does ongoing training to keep you up to date on how to use the technology.I had a minor issue with hardware and Cad-Ray resolved the issues no questions asked!They have a ...read moreI bought a Medit i500 from Cad-Ray. The service was fantastic. This group also does ongoing training to keep you up to date on how to use the technology.I had a minor issue with hardware and Cad-Ray resolved the issues no questions asked!They have a very active online forum that is supportive. I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase more equipment from them!read less - 10/23/2020
Ajitha Gereddy
We purchased Medit i-500 with CAD ray last December and customer support is great.One of best thing for our practice is having intra oral scanner ,works great . Laura was very patient with our learning curve. - 12/10/2021
Collins Woodside
I purchased my Medit i500 scanner almost a year ago from CAD-Ray. Laura and the team there have been so responsive and ready to help. It is so nice to have a person answer the phone and be willing and able to assist! - 12/09/2021
Gwen Giannina
CAD-Ray is an amazing company. I purchased my scanner 3 years ago. Any small issue immediately resolved by calling them for help. I originally scanned with Cerec. The ROI doesn't even compare. The Medit was by far the best technology purchase of my ...read moreCAD-Ray is an amazing company. I purchased my scanner 3 years ago. Any small issue immediately resolved by calling them for help. I originally scanned with Cerec. The ROI doesn't even compare. The Medit was by far the best technology purchase of my 20 plus years in dentistry. I will upgrade at some point and will buy again from CAD-RAY!read less - 2/04/2022
Blake Holt
Best place to buy a medit i500 from. Great support and an even better community. - 6/16/2020
jeremiah choi
Never had customer care like Cad-Ray, you can't go wrong purchasing through them. Trios is a great scanner. All the reps at Cad-Ray are very knowledgeable and helpful and will make sure you are up and running smoothly. Above and beyond customer serv...read moreNever had customer care like Cad-Ray, you can't go wrong purchasing through them. Trios is a great scanner. All the reps at Cad-Ray are very knowledgeable and helpful and will make sure you are up and running smoothly. Above and beyond customer service.read less - 8/27/2022
Armen is a dentist and knows what a dentist need, on other words cad ray sells technology that works for dentists! - 6/16/2020
Steven Hechtman
As important as the decision of which scanner to buy (I bought the Medit i500 - why is a separate review) is the decision of who to purchase it from. There is a Medit i500 distributor 5 miles from my office who agreed to lower their price to match C...read moreAs important as the decision of which scanner to buy (I bought the Medit i500 - why is a separate review) is the decision of who to purchase it from. There is a Medit i500 distributor 5 miles from my office who agreed to lower their price to match Cad-Ray. So why did I purchase it from Cad-Ray who is 2000 miles away from my office. Because I did my homework. Because the post purchase training and support offered by Cad-Ray was unmatched by any other dealer I spoke with. Their library of online training videos that came with the purchase is without equal. Bottom Line: I’m glad I purchased the Medit i500 and, with hindsight, I know I made the right choice to purchased it from Cad-Ray!read less - 5/12/2020
DERYCK PHAM
STOP SEARCHING NOW!
Best bang for your buck scanner on the market. we have been using out medit for 8 months now. love our crowns, margins are fantastic. almost no adjustments needed at all. maybe one in ten crowns might have to adjust mesial or...read moreSTOP SEARCHING NOW!
Best bang for your buck scanner on the market. we have been using out medit for 8 months now. love our crowns, margins are fantastic. almost no adjustments needed at all. maybe one in ten crowns might have to adjust mesial or distal to get crown to drop in. occlusion is always spot on. patients love the technology and WOW factor -"SOOO COOOLLL." customer service is great also! dont waste your money on anythign else. our lab even comments on how easy it is to deal with medit and how good the scans are. they recommend it to their other doctors now as well.read less - 10/09/2019
I just ordered my i700 and am
Very excited to get into the digital world of dentistry and Nick was extremely helpful with answering any questions and helping to put the order together. - 12/09/2021
Had a good experience when purchasing my scanner, it was very easy, and to date after three months of using the scanner no support is a plus, anytime I call me I will answer and troubleshoot - 7/10/2022
Jonathan Mason
I bought a Medit 3 years ago and have had amazing success with both the scanner and the support from Cad-Ray. My scanner recently broke and They were on the phone with my assistant trying to fix the problem, and when it was unfixable, they overnight...read moreI bought a Medit 3 years ago and have had amazing success with both the scanner and the support from Cad-Ray. My scanner recently broke and They were on the phone with my assistant trying to fix the problem, and when it was unfixable, they overnighted a new scanner and helped us set it up. Medit is now available through many dealers, but I would only buy next one from Cad-Ray.read less - 11/03/2022
Jim Ellis
I've only worked with this company for a short time but I have found them to be wonderful in every way. Call, emails, and texts are returned very quickly and the equipment that we have purchased works wonderfully. I would highly recommend. Dr Jim Ell...read moreI've only worked with this company for a short time but I have found them to be wonderful in every way. Call, emails, and texts are returned very quickly and the equipment that we have purchased works wonderfully. I would highly recommend. Dr Jim Ellisread less - 5/12/2020
Chase Benson
New technology can be intimidating, but this i700 is user friendly and is everything you could ask for in regards to a great scanner. Cad-ray also made the transition easy and smooth. Customer support here is unreal. Telling all my dental buddies abo...read moreNew technology can be intimidating, but this i700 is user friendly and is everything you could ask for in regards to a great scanner. Cad-ray also made the transition easy and smooth. Customer support here is unreal. Telling all my dental buddies about these guys, and plan to make more purchases in the future.read less - 4/18/2022
I just purchased the CAD-Ray unit at Chicago Mid Winter meeting. We have used it for single crowns so far and have been very pleased. Nick was my sales contact and he has helped a great deal with some of our 'learning curve " issues. I looked at a nu...read moreI just purchased the CAD-Ray unit at Chicago Mid Winter meeting. We have used it for single crowns so far and have been very pleased. Nick was my sales contact and he has helped a great deal with some of our 'learning curve " issues. I looked at a number of scanners and felt CAD-Ray was the best-two of the labs I use also feel it is the best scanner.read less - 5/12/2020
Alderman Dental
Frank DeLuca from CAD-Ray has been absolutely awesome from day one. Readily available and very knowledgeable to provide support when needed. - 1/25/2023
Rosemary Toczydlowski
I had a phone call with Frank from support today, and he was awesome! Very helpful and knowledgeable. He sorted out all our issues no problem. Thank you Frank!! - 6/09/2021
Christopher Godla
I have had my Medit i700 scanner for about 2 months now and have completed 67 restorative cases with it. Scans have generally been pretty quick, and the accuracy seems to be superior to the iTero I used. My first scanner ended up dying after a few ...read moreI have had my Medit i700 scanner for about 2 months now and have completed 67 restorative cases with it. Scans have generally been pretty quick, and the accuracy seems to be superior to the iTero I used. My first scanner ended up dying after a few weeks. Medit and cad-ray were great- they sent a new scanner within the week and haven't had any problems since. Customer service has been spot on. Overall I have been very satisfied.read less - 6/30/2021
Fantastic class. Amazing scanner.Cad Ray has been helpful not only with my purchase of the Medit i500, but every step of the way.Level 2 seminar with Armen and Damien was extremely informative, useful and practical! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 8/08/2021
Matt v
Matt Newman was excellent solving a cable problem.! Quick response and good follow up! - 9/11/2024
Mark Sperling
Got a great deal in the medit i700 and the training was top notch. I had about 3 one hour sessions with Ryan at cadray and he was clear, concise and knowledgeable in both the software and hardware components of the computer/scanner and the detailed a...read moreGot a great deal in the medit i700 and the training was top notch. I had about 3 one hour sessions with Ryan at cadray and he was clear, concise and knowledgeable in both the software and hardware components of the computer/scanner and the detailed aspects of the dentistry itself. Got a direct line going forward and would recommend cad ray to anyoneread less - 8/17/2022
AJ Ganir
Cadray has great support and service! They are very responsive to questions. Love the new medit scanner! - 5/06/2021
Mary Oliverie
Last year when I started looking into the Medit i500 I had my front desk call 3 sellers to get preliminary information. She told me hands down call CAD-RAY and don’t bother with the others. Boy was she right! Frank got us going with all our hardware ...read moreLast year when I started looking into the Medit i500 I had my front desk call 3 sellers to get preliminary information. She told me hands down call CAD-RAY and don’t bother with the others. Boy was she right! Frank got us going with all our hardware needs and trained us until all our questions were answered. Then Jonathon and Armen jumped in at our 2 day live training in Baltimore. I still review my notes to implement all the great ideas. When I get myself in a jam time to time CAD-RAY responds immediately and fixes my problem. Best decision I have made in the practice in a long time - Thank you everyone at CAD-RAY!read less - 10/09/2019
Needed help with scanner updates and Frank is the man! Once he was done the scanner was operating in hyper-drive!!thanks frankoffice of Glenmont Dental - 2/15/2022
Russell Schafer
Overall great company to work with. They sell wondeful products and give stellar service for a much lower price than any of the supply houses. I can't recommend them enough. - 8/19/2022
Reid Stone
I cannot say enough good things about Cad-Ray and the people involved with this organization. I have purchased equipment over the past few years from them and always been amazed at the non-pushy before the sale help and the after the sale support. ...read moreI cannot say enough good things about Cad-Ray and the people involved with this organization. I have purchased equipment over the past few years from them and always been amazed at the non-pushy before the sale help and the after the sale support. I have been deciding for the last 2 years to make a big purchase of a mill and sintering furnace and Jon has never made me feel like I was bothering him and never pushed me just to try to get a sale. It really is different from other sales experiences I've had with other companies/sales people.Jesse came out and installed and provided training for our new mill and sintering furnace. He went above and beyond what I was expecting to make sure myself and my team knew how everything works during the training. He has also been great with questions we have had since the installation. I just cannot say enough good things about my experience all around and will definitely be a Cad-Ray customer for many years to come. Thank you Cad-Ray!read less - 6/15/2022
Deryck Pham
best customer service on the planet. very easy to use. and always fine tuning to make the user experience better. - 6/16/2020
Delicate Dentistry
Cad-Ray's support is truly exceptional. While the equipment represents a significant investment, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they stand firmly behind their products is invaluable. Their support team is efficient, professional, and remar...read moreCad-Ray's support is truly exceptional. While the equipment represents a significant investment, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they stand firmly behind their products is invaluable. Their support team is efficient, professional, and remarkably persistent in ensuring everything runs smoothly. I'm especially grateful to Destaney and Laura for their ongoing assistance- their dedication and expertise have made a world of a difference!read less - 5/15/2025
In this video we demonstrate how the Aoralscan from Shinning 3D captures deep margins.
An old PFM crown warranted replacement due to open margins and recurrent decay. After the crown was removed, the margins were refined and the tissue was displaced with expasyl and retraction cord.
This video is deliberately captured slowly so a new user can appreciate how to hold the camera to capture the margins and the contacts of the adjacent teeth. You also have the opportunity to place your own margins and the path of draw before submit the case to the lab.
This case was scanned by two different scanners. Once by the Medit i500 and another time with the Aoralscan. Both the meshes are included so you can compare the two. It was scanned to deliver a case that retrofits a partial denture
Most manufacturers recommend that you start your imaging at the second molar area, which is the least practical area to start with. The tongue and the lip and saliva are a quick distraction as the scanner does not know what you are trying to image. The incisal edges of lower anterior are also a tough place to start as the incisal translucency lets the light transmit through the enamel instead of reflecting to the cameras.
A good place to start is the second premolar first molar area where you can use the tip of the scanner to displace the tongue. Reducing the focal length to 12 mm’s allows the user to hide hard and soft tissue that can impede the rate of image capture. Watch the deliberate movement of the camera that helps the user manage the area to be captured with relative ease
Medit i500 was used to scan and duplicated a fractured denture. It was originally scanned in the patient’s mouth to capture the opposing and the bite and then submitted to the lab for fabrication
In this video we review with the instant replay feature of the medit i500 on how to scan a denture and not introduce double images or errors in the model. We first scan the occlusale surfaces of the denture intra-orally (this does not really matter as the software doesn’t know any differently), we then image the opposing, and then bite. We then remove the relined upper broken denture and continue the imaging to capture the intaglio
In this case presentation, we introduce the Shining Aoralscan for beginner doctors who want to get into digital impressions. Proper isolation and retraction is a key element of scanning. In this demonstration we showcase how a new user can easily control the operating field to deliver high quality restorations
Proper isolation and retraction is key for all intra-oral scanners. In this video, you can appreciate how the upper and lower arches were isolated, the margins were exposed with retraction cord and imaged with the shining 3d aoralscan
To date, the literature and research clearly points out that full arch scans with edentulous arches are prone to inaccuracies. That’s because we have never had a way to measure and verify models while scanning. There are two features unique to the Medit i500, namely the reliability map and the artificial intelligent implant suprastructure identification system. Individually, they do not provide much information with regards to accuracy, but if you understand how they work, you can utilize them to assess accuracy while you are scanning edentulous arches.
We proved the validity of this concept by utilizing these two features by incorporating a scan from the imetric Icam4D scanner and merging its data with the IOS to render a perfect match. Details are posted for our users in the Imaging Implants Section of our tutorial liabrary
This is a preview of a single unit case that was scanned using the Artificial Implant Suprastructure Identification System of the Medit Software. To see the full case follow this link
Hydroflouric Acid Etched Treated Scanbody Surface makes Intra-Oral Scanning much easier for all dental scanners. Apply a coat of HF for a mere 10 seconds and rinse off.
In this clinical case a patient lost a pre-existing crown. The remaining tooth structure had recurrent decay and a new crown was warranted.
After anesthesia was administered, the clearance from opposing dentition was assessed. The preparation was reduced to accommodate the necessary thickness of the material.
Once adequate clearance was achieved an Optragate was placed and an isolite was used to isolate the area. The preparation was scanned and then the lower arch was captured. The buccal bite was then taken to along the arches together
With Meditlink software, you have the option of designing the case yourself or sending it off to your partnered lab. The following video shows what happens to your case once the lab downloads the case
In this particular case, we designed our own crown and milled it with the coritec one milling machine
Once the amber lithium disilicate material was milled, its for was verified clinically. The crown was then crystallized and seated with NX3 resin cement
In this video we show how to you can digitally pour up the intaglio of a denture scan with the medit software where you scan in the impression mode, “reverse normal”, process the case and the add a base to it. You can then immediately send it to a printer
Taking impressions, digital or analog way, was one of the greatest hassles in implant dentistry. we can now image the margins of the implant suprastrucure OUTSIDE the mouth, merge it with the intra-oral condition, and mark the margins on the digital file as opposed to getting hemostasis and tissue retraction in difficult situations..
medit i500 takes one of the most complex and error prone situations and simplifies it, whether you send the case to the lab or do in office restorations.
In this video, we show a recall of an implant restored with a scanbody. When the implant was initially placed, a scanbody was seated and an X-ray was taken to verify that it was seated. The titanium scanbody allows for visualization of seat. A peek scanbody does have a metal carrier but it is confusing to some users to verify that it is engaged with the fixture.
The proper placement of this biomax implant, followed by ideal contouring of tissue and bone around the head of the fixture, allowed for enough “running room” to create the desired emergence profile
With analog dental impressions, it is imparative to separate the gum tissue from tooth structure and to create a trough for flash for dye work. This is not the case with the intra-oral scanner by Medit. All you need to do is displace the tissue so you have a clear line of site to the margins, and you just need to be flush. You don’t need flash like you do with stone work
Dental implant surgery and restorations were the most risky procedures just 10 years ago. They were also the most profitable, but also carried the largest liability and the most significant surgical and restorative lab costs. A simple error introduced in the restorative process could easily eliminate the profit margin and a more significant mishap can create an undesirable outcome
We have seen dramatic changes in implant surgery where both the cost of the surgical stent and the fixture placement have reduced to the point where fully guided surgery is now the norm as they speed up the surgery and normalize the accuracy of placement across a broad range of practitioners with varying levels of experience. We are now seeing the same type of effect on the restorative side of the implant treatment, where digital dentistry is greatly reducing costs and errors.
With permission from blueskybio.com, we captured some key elements with analog impressions to highlight potential errors that can be introduced. The full video can be seen here:
The common sources of errors that someone can introduce are:
The inherent nature of impression material that can distort during the impression step
The angulation of the impression abutment may prevent it from seating all the way or may bind on the adjacent teeth making it difficult to capture an accurate impression
The size of the impression abutment can usually block access to the contours of the adjacent teeth where the pvs material does not capture the detail needed to generate good contacts and emergence profiles
Not securing the implant analog with the abutment in the impression material so that it does not distort or vibrate out of its position while pouring stone into the PVS material
With multiple implant, the problems can compound exponentially if the implants do not draw well together with complications ranging from locking the tray in the patient’s mouth accidentally or distorting the impression material enough when removing it where you decrease the accuracy. Some practitioners prefer to do this in multiple steps, correcting angulation and collisions with custom abutments and several impressions
Fortunately, in this impression of 3 implants that were placed with a guided, the impression abutments are parallel to each other but just a few degrees in either direction, you can have multiple collisions of the abutments with the adjacent teeth or in between the abutment themselves. What a scanbody does is it allows for the optical scan of a geometric shape that helps CAD software identify the exact location of an implant fixture, its timing, and its relationship to the arch form.
It has significant advantages as there is no distortion of the impression material. Moreover, you can capture all the detail of the adjacent teeth before you place the scanbody in the mouth. This dramatically reduces the errors and adjustments you will need to make during the seat appointment.
This video shows you the contour or the shape of a specific scanbdoy. There are many manufacturers that produce the scanbodies for a variety of fixtures with different geometries. Ideally, you use a titanium based one so that you can take an x-ray to make sure it is seated all the way. A frequent cause for error with digital impression is that you bind on tissue of bone which block you form seating all the way.
Once you have scanned the pertinent information, you can then take the digital models to CAD software where the location of the fixture is identified digitally and you can design the restoration of your choice. This can be titanium abutment or a tibase that retrofits ceramic material like emax or zirconia. The following video demonstrates how you identify the scanbody in exocad and proceed with a sample design.
Once the design is completed, you can outsource the fabrication of the abutment and/or the crown. There are many machines that you can use to fabricate the titanium abutment. Please note that the milling machines do not mill the connection. The connection to the implant comes pre-manufactured. The cylindrical block is milled to shape. The cad software also maintains the relationship of the abutment to the crown so that they retrofit to each other.
Now imagine if you had multiple implants that did not draw together? What’s great about digital dentistry and how we use the Medit i500 here is how we utilize a single scanbody to capture the location of 3 fixtures. One thing we emphasize at CAD-Ray is how digital impression allow you to create models over time and out of sequence. They are also editable and additive. In the subsequent video we demonstrate how you can capture segments at a time, which can greatly help when you have implant abutments colliding into each other.
You can place the scanbdoy in one location, scan it, digitally protect the area, remove the scanbody, place it into another location and image it at the new location, dramatically overcoming all the obstacles described above
Now for the greatest news and the largest advancement in digital dentistry in a decade! Medit i500 has launched the Artificial Intelligent Implant Identification System where the software automatically recognizes these scanbody and lets you skip dozens of steps to get to the immediate design steps of the restoration. The algorithm utilized to match the digital scanbody to the physical one is proprietary to Medit and is unparalleled in its accuracy. A lot of the guess work and inherent errors in the digital platforms are reduced with this software which is a contrasting as the difference between analog and digital impressions.
When you have preops that you are trying to stitch to preps in medit, and this could also include relating scanbodies to arches as well, you need enough data that is redundant in both catalog boxes
if you watch this video carefully, you can see how i over trimmed the mesial part of the equation and even though the camera is active, it is not acquiring images. you can see the red box.
once i move the camera to the distal molar, the acquisition starts because the molar has more data points than the premolar and the software / camera recognized the area and started to acquire images.
understanding this will unlock a lot of complicated cases and make the easier for you
Many scanners limit the number of scans you can take on a patient. This becomes cumbersome when you want to image pre-existing conditions, tissue scans for implantology, and other advanced...
Scanning long span edentulous is a very likely culprit with rendering dimensionally accurate models because to the software and camera, the geometric shapes are too identical across the ridge. The...
Are you interested in an office build out or incorporating technology into your practice? feel free to visit us when we are conducting courses or sign up to take a...
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