Intraoral scanners: the essentials
Intraoral scanners: what they can do, what they can't, and how to choose yours
The honest guide for clinicians ready to go digital
The intraoral scanner is the entry point to digital dentistry for most clinicians. It's the first piece of technology that replaces something physical — the impression tray, the putty, the gag reflex — with something digital.
But the market is crowded, the claims are loud, and the price tags are significant. Here's what you actually need to know before you invest.
What a scanner actually does
An intraoral scanner captures a precise 3D digital model of teeth, soft tissue and surrounding structures in real time. That digital model replaces the conventional impression and becomes the foundation for:
Digital restorations — crowns, bridges, veneers
Implant planning and guided surgery
Orthodontic treatment planning and aligner fabrication
Partial and full denture workflows — digitally designed, printed or milled
Digital Smile Design — visualising aesthetic outcomes before any treatment begins
Digital occlusal analysis
Patient communication and case presentation
The scan goes directly to your lab, your planning software, or your in-office 3D printer. No impression material. No model pouring. No distortion from conventional impression techniques.
What scanners can't do — yet
Honest caveat: scanners are excellent for supragingival structures. Subgingival margins, deep implant scan bodies in compromised access situations, and heavily bleeding sites remain challenging for most systems.
Conventional impressions still have a place — for now. A scanner doesn't replace clinical judgment about when a digital workflow is appropriate and when it isn't.
The features that actually matter
When you're comparing systems, ignore the marketing. Focus on these:
Accuracy. Full arch accuracy — not single tooth — is what matters clinically. Look for independent validation studies, not manufacturer data.
Speed. Scanning time affects patient comfort and workflow efficiency. A scanner that takes twice as long to capture a full arch will cost you chair time every single day.
Open vs closed system. Open systems send your scan data to any compatible lab, software or 3D printer. Closed systems lock you into an ecosystem. Open is almost always the better long-term choice for clinical flexibility.
Software. The scanner is only as good as the software behind it. Intuitive workflow, reliable stitching, easy export — these matter more than hardware specs.
Service and support. Scanners go down. Software updates happen. Who answers the phone when something breaks?
The Straumann Sirios X3 — worth a mention
Among the systems we use and recommend at Elevate, the Straumann Sirios X3 stands out for a specific combination of reasons.
First — and worth stating clearly — it's an open system. Your scan data exports to any compatible lab, planning software or 3D printer. You're not locked into a single ecosystem, which matters enormously for long-term workflow flexibility.
Second, its integration with the Straumann digital workflow is genuinely seamless if you're working with Straumann Group implants and planning in coDiagnostiX. The scan data flows cleanly into planning, the guided surgery component integrates naturally, and the full digital chain from scan to restoration runs without friction.
But the Sirios X3 performs equally well outside that ecosystem. Digital Smile Design workflows, full denture digital protocols, partial prosthetics, orthodontic planning — it handles the full scope of modern digital dentistry without requiring you to commit to any single brand downstream.
For clinicians building a serious digital workflow, it's the logical starting point. Not because it's the only good scanner on the market — there are several — but because open architecture combined with genuine clinical accuracy makes it a decision you won't regret as your workflow evolves. And did we mention it is lightning fast?
How to choose
Don't buy a scanner based on a demo day. Borrow one. Use it in your own practice, on your own patients, for at least a week. See how it fits your hands, your operatory, your team's workflow.
But don't let that process become an excuse to wait.
The question is no longer whether to go digital. That debate is over. Digital dentistry is not the future of implantology — it's the present. Clinicians who are still "considering it" are already behind the curve, and that gap widens every year.
Think of it like AI. The clinicians who embraced it early built workflows, developed instincts, and gained a compounding advantage. Those who waited are now catching up to a moving target.
The same is true for digital dentistry. Every month you delay is a month of scan experience, digital case planning and workflow refinement that you don't accumulate. Skills that compound over time — but only if you start.
So choose wisely. But choose now.
The bottom line
An intraoral scanner is one of the best investments a modern implantologist can make. Not someday. Now.
Start with the scan. Build the workflow around it. And choose a system that integrates with how you actually work — because the clinicians who figure this out today are the ones setting the standard tomorrow.
Digital workflows are at the core of every Elevate course. Explore our upcoming programmes at elevateeducation.be/courses