An intraoral scanner that integrates seamlessly with a dental practice’s workflow to enhance diagnosis, patient education, treatment acceptance, and clinical outcomes
"It shows an excellent digital representation to patients."
Ralph Dubienski, DDS
Calgary, AB
"The accuracy of the DEXIS IS 3800W streamlines practice flow by reducing chair time when delivering crowns."
John W. Horn, DMD
Hegins, PA
"It will greatly increase case acceptance."
Jesse Mangelsdorf, DDS
Kingman, AZ
While “work smarter, not harder” is a concept that’s been around for decades, recent advancements in technology allow businesses to really bring this goal to fruition. For dental practices, part of working smarter means learning and adopting new techniques that can improve processes, simplify workflows, increase productivity, and improve the bottom line. Embracing dental technology, for example, can pave the way to success for a dental practice, which Dr. Ralph Dubienski found out firsthand.
Hoping to “streamline the impression and bite registration part of our practice as well as save money on all the impression materials that we use,” Dr. Dubienski decided to purchase the DEXIS IS 3800W Intraoral Scanner and discovered that it was the perfect solution for his practice in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. “It has helped streamline our workflow, and impression material supplies have greatly decreased, resulting in large savings to the dental practice.”
Similarly, Dr. Jesse Mangelsdorf was hoping the DEXIS IS 3800W would help him overcome a few challenges in his practice. With goals of “faster turnaround for crown fabrication and eliminating impression material,” he said the scanner did exactly that. “Crowns come back 1 week faster, and I only use impression material 5% of the time,” he reported.
Ergonomics and Cordless Operation
Compact and ergonomically designed with a light weight of 240 grams, the IS 3800W has gesture motion control that eliminates the need for a mouse. Its cordless operation and 1 hour of continuous scanning offers users the flexibility to move freely.
“I like the size, that the scanner is cordless, and the ability to sterilize the scan tips,” noted Dr. Tatiana Steele. Shelly Atkinson, an EFDA and office manager, named “the wireless factor” as her favorite feature, and Dr. Ilyoss Gulyamov called it a “more advanced and cordless option” compared to a previous scanner. In addition to cordless convenience, Dr. John Horn said, “The cart allows freedom of movement to all operatories.”
Scanning Speed and Accuracy
“The accuracy of the DEXIS IS 3800W streamlines practice flow by reducing chair time when delivering crowns,” noted Dr. Horn, who scanned 7 single units and placed them without any adjustments. “I enjoy getting an accurate scan on the fi rst try,” shared Kelsey, a dental records technician. “The ease of scanning gold crowns has improved tremendously with the DEXIS IS 3800W,” she added. Calling it “a great additional scanner for the office,” Atkinson said, “It easily scans tissue” and is especially helpful when “scanning for a full upper extraction case and immediate upper denture.”
Calling it a “great system with a simple-to-use interface,” Dr. Jonathan Ng suggested moving the On/off button to a more out-of-the-way location. Pleased with the “ability to erase and stitch imperfections in scan impressions,” Dr. Nicholas Varney liked the scanner’s “integration with the practice software” and said, “It’s easy to pull patients’ charts and start scanning without having to re-add a new patient portal through a third-party system.”
“Even if you only use the scanner for night guards, whitening trays, and orthodontics, it will greatly increase case acceptance,” noted Dr. Mangelsdorf. Dr. Steele suggested that a greater depth of scanning would be beneficial.
Staff and Patient Engagement
Designed to keep both patients and staff engaged, the IS 3800W “helps very much to show an excellent digital representation to patients of treatment required and shows advancement of technology,” noted Dr. Dubienski. “Patients love that we have the ability to scan so they don’t have to do impressions,” said assistant Daivi Peterson. Another evaluator said, “Patients love the technology,” and Atkinson shared, “Patients love being able to see their teeth on the screen and no longer having to use traditional impression materials.”
When it comes to staff engagement, Dr. Horn noted, “[The scanner allows] more staff time in the procedure and increases team morale as they feel more involved in the practice.” Practice owner Dr. Ann Wei said the device “excites staff members being more engaged,” and Kelsey determined, “This product positively impacts daily workflow by cutting down on multiple steps for many procedures. It has made our lives so much better and allowed us to be the most efficient employees possible.”
Overall Satisfaction
“The scanner elevates the appeal for patients when they see it on the stand and witness the fast scans,” shared Dr. Ng. Commenting that “simplicity is the key,” Dr. Wei called it “a great image acquisition tool that’s perfect for the right clinician.”
Relaying positive experiences with the support team, Dr. Mangelsdorf concluded, “Our DEXIS representative is amazing!”
Takeaways
- Light and compact ergonomic design aids user comfort
- Accurate, detailed images streamline practice workflow
- Excellent customer support from DEXIS
- Scans enhance patient education and treatment acceptance•
