Product Evaluation

3SHAPE

TRIOS 4 3Shape Evaluation

TRIOS 4 allows practices to offer complete dental care while enhancing the patient experience and improving clinical proficiency

While taking analog impressions is an uncomfortable, messy, time-consuming process for patients, it also presents clinicians with a unique set of challenges. Impression materials are expensive, technique-sensitive, and can distort during pouring or transport—not to mention that the impression-taking process eats up valuable chair time, while lab turnaround time can extend a patient’s treatment window by days or weeks.

One solution that will erase all those challenges— converting to digital impressions with an intraoral scanner—should perhaps be a logical choice for a busy dental practice.

It was the right choice for Christopher Shyue, DDS, whose practice invested in the 3Shape TRIOS 4 intraoral scanner with 3 goals in mind—to enhance patient experiences, migrate towards digital dentistry, and further clinical proficiency. TRIOS 4 “fulfilled all 3 of our initial goals, while providing benefits for everyone involved—the patient, the staff, and the dentist,” said Dr. Shyue.

Patient Experience

Calling TRIOS 4 “great for patients with gag reflex or those who cannot tolerate impression material,” Andrew Cohen, DMD, discovered, “Patients LOVE it; it exceeded all my expectations. I will never go back to analog impressions.” Because “it causes less gag reflex,” Dr. Shyue said his patients prefer digital im[1]pressions over traditional PVS or alginate techniques. In addition, he explained that “patients can see the scans and be more engaged in the process.” Dr. Gary Klein agreed that it is a great alternative for gagging patients and likes the cordless design of the TRIOS 4.

Describing patient comfort as a benefit of TRIOS 4, Miriam Carmean, DDS, said patients “appreciate the ability to take breaks during the impression process” and are “so appreciative of the ease of obtaining the scan over traditional impression methods.” She added, “It makes treatment discussions easier and illustrates treatment needs for patients,” noting that patients love the ability to visualize their teeth. “Patient perception is everything—and they love seeing this product at work.”

Scanning Quality

Dubbing it “the best scanner I have ever used,” Dr. Albert Internoscia said TRIOS 4 provides “faster, better digital impressions and is very user friendly,” although he suggested that 3Shape add a USB port and an optional facial scanner. He praised “the accuracy of the scans and being able to send it immediately to the lab.” TRIOS 4 “improved the speed and accuracy of my scans,” reported Dr. Cohen, and another dentist called it “excellent for full-arch scans” and said he loves the full color. Dr. Juan Collado said it’s easy to take impressions with TRIOS 4, and it allows him to operate more efficiently and with increased accuracy. Noting that his “crowns fit better” after scanning with TRIOS 4, Dr. Klein recommended a longer battery life.

Pleased that scanning with TRIOS 4 eliminates the possibility of distortion that occurs with physical impressions or casts during pour-up, Dr. Carmean said her “ortho lab cases fit more snugly, and crowns typically seat with minor adjustments.” She did note that it has “difficulty detecting edentulous anatomy.”

Versatility & Practice Benefits

Calling it “the best scanner out there,” Dr. Scott Sayre said TRIOS 4 is amazingly versatile. “We can pretty much scan everything, including implants, crowns, multi-units, bridges, trays, appliances and night guards,” he explained, while suggesting improved soft-tissue scans so he can scan denture cases. Agreeing that it’s “the best unit on the market,” Dr. Todd Sarubin scans every new patient and uses TRIOS 4 “for all crown and bridge, clear aligners, removable prosthetics, orthodontics, night guards, sleep apnea appliances, and implants.” He said 3Shape continues to upgrade the software so he’ll be able to do even more procedures. “The scanner is amazing for aligners, crowns, and all tooth-related scans,” agreed Dr. Carmean, who said it’s easy to monitor the progress of clear aligner cases and show changes to patients.

One reason why Dr. Evan Chafitz chose TRIOS 4 is so he can fabricate his own surgical guides in-house. He said the scanner allows him to do that and has simplified his overall workflow. Dr. Shyue pointed out several benefits of TRIOS 4, including quicker lab turnaround, effective communication with labs and patients, and new technology to challenge and engage clinicians and improve their clinical skills. He noted, “The subscription cost is a disadvantage in comparison to other options with no annual fees.” Suggesting that “a list of sent scans would help with lab tracking,” Dr. Carmean appreciates that “digital transmission is almost instantaneous” and said her practice has tripled its orthodontic patient load since using the TRIOS software as their primary visual aid. While Dr. Internoscia called it an easy system for clinicians to learn, Dr. Jon Molinare said the training “was too much at one time,” and Dr. Cohen would like improved customer support.

"TRIOS 4 is a game changer for our practice."
-Gary Klein, DDS
Harrisburg, PA

Overall Satisfaction

“TRIOS 4 is a game changer for our practice!” noted Dr. Klein, who said it exceeded all his expectations and makes life much easier. Eager to recommend TRIOS 4 to colleagues, Dr. Sayre declared, “This great scanner lowers our cost and saves time.” Praising its “excellent scans” and calling it a “time saver, especially with implants,” Dr. Internoscia concluded, “I can’t live without it. 3Shape offers great technology that improves patient care.”

Takeaways

• Scans for implants, crowns, aligners, appliances, & more
• Accurate scans for improved clinical results*
• Instant digital transmission of cases to labs
• Enhances patient comfort and experience*
• Assists in patient education and case acceptance*