When Dr. Chad Sloan needed to scan a patient “at 2 different bites to make a VDO-increasing splint,” he naturally reached for Shining 3D’s Aoralscan ELF. “It scanned the open bite very easily,” he said.
As it turns out, that ease is by design. Ergonomic, lightweight, and functional, the Aoralscan ELF quickly captures accurate intraoral data and delivers clear digital impressions. For dentists like Dr. Sloan, this intraoral scanner does exactly that—and then some.
“It does everything it said it would,” he said. “The ELF is light, quick, inexpensive, and the software integrates seamlessly with my 3D printer setup. For me, being able to access files from the cloud easily is huge; I can do some designing at home or on my laptop from anywhere, and when things work smoother, patients have much better experiences.”
Ergonomics and Ease of Use
Weighing only 106 grams and featuring an ergonomically designed handle, the Aoralscan ELF effectively enhances user comfort. A single Type-C cable also enables plug-and-play connectivity, so setup is simple and scanning can begin immediately.
Commenting on the “small size,” Dr. Jake Rounds said, “I know I can scan just about any patient compared to using a larger scanner.” Specifically, he recalled, “I was able to quickly get a scan on a pediatric patient due to the small size and accuracy. I’m not confident I could’ve used my [previous scanner] to do the same thing.”
Dr. Cary Berdy was in search of “an easy way for myself, assistants, and hygienists to take full-arch intraoral scans easily, quickly, and accurately.” With the Aoralscan ELF, he found, “It has blown away my expectations. It allows my assistants to easily scan all patients.” Another dentist added, “It is very easy to train my assistants on how to use it.”
Scanning Performance
The Aoralscan ELF supports efficient chairside workflows, delivering fast, precise scans across 3 interchangeable tip sizes—mini for pediatric cases, normal for general dentistry, and big for edentulous and implant cases.
“I use this product for every scan that comes into my office, from crowns and implants to removable cases,” Dr. John Haywood said. “It is an extremely small scanner, yet it is the fastest I’ve used.”
“We’ve been very impressed with precision,” Dr. Olya Lane shared. “I believe the scanner is excellent for capturing areas quickly and efficiently.” Dr. Berdy assured, “It takes great scans in challenging situations,” and he liked “how easily and quickly it takes full-arch scans with almost perfect filtering of the tongue and cheeks.”
Dr. Abel Aguilar said, “It scans quickly and accurately,” noting how “it’s a game changer” for edentulous cases. Having achieved “full-arch scans in perfect detail in 20 seconds,” one dentist pointed out, “This scanner allows me to scan mandibular full dentures with ease, and it has cut the length/time of appointments.” Another dentist who performed at least 50 edentulous scans with the Aoralscan ELF added, “I’ve remade dentures from [traditional] impressions, and the fit and feel are better than my impression-made complete dentures.”
The Patient Experience
The Aoralscan ELF leverages AI-powered technology for improved occlusal accuracy and oral hygiene assessment. IntelliBite smart bite registration helps streamline restorative design, provide high-quality restorative results, and reduce remakes and adjustments. The Intelligent Plaque Management Suite identifies plaque deposits on tooth surfaces and generates an interactive model and health report—enhancing clinical examination as well as patient communication.
“Patients love seeing their scans,” Dr. Rounds said, “and I believe that they’re impressed with newer technology—nobody loves messy impressions.”
“The impressions are very precise and require fewer adjustments,” Dr. Lane reported. “My chairside time has been decreasing gradually as my staff gets more comfortable with the scanner, and I believe my patients are much happier as they often don’t have to experience cord packing and uncomfortable impression materials.”
“It enables us to educate patients, and they have been extremely impressed,” Dr. Haywood said. “I think the report is extremely beneficial to give to patients and is a true practice game changer.” He also mentioned, “The AI software has been great at eliminating background noise from scans,” but Dr. Berdy looks forward to ongoing “software updates to make things even more intuitive.”
Overall Satisfaction
“It’s a great scanner, and Shining 3D is extremely responsive to any issues that may pop up,” Dr. Haywood said, while Dr. Sloan summed up the Aoralscan ELF’s top features: “price, speed, accuracy, and [easy] integration.”
Overall, Dr. Aguilar said, “The hardware is amazing,” Dr. Berdy called the scanner “a must-have for any practice,” and another dentist declared, “It is very difficult to recommend anything else.”
