Heather Gramely provided excellent costumer support today. She went above and beyond the reason I even called to update our computer and software and aid in warranty information/repairs. - 2/08/2022
Debra Haselton DDS PLC
I had a training session with Laila this morning and she was fantastic! Very organized training, easy to follow and was able to get my scanner up and running. Thank you Kaila! - 1/06/2022
Provinces Dental
Cad-Ray has provided a great product! They have been super helpful with getting all of our questions answered and products to us in a timely matter! - 3/01/2022
Cristy Duval
Kaila is an incredible Rep! Hope Cad-Ray knows what a great employee they have. Thank you Kaila! - 12/16/2021
Caleb King
Kaila Larson is the support specialist for our office and has been outstanding. She gets back to us quickly with any questions we have, and will log into the computer and fix issues so we don't even have to worry about them. She is extremely knowled...read moreKaila Larson is the support specialist for our office and has been outstanding. She gets back to us quickly with any questions we have, and will log into the computer and fix issues so we don't even have to worry about them. She is extremely knowledgeable about the MEDIT scanner and the supporting software. She responds to calls and texts or emails and will communicate with us in whatever way is most convenient for our office. She has saved us hours of time and headache by always being available to help.read less - 5/25/2022
Kip Covington
Customer support! I've had handfuls of scanners over the years and support has always been the biggest variable. We recently had a scanner bought through and implant company and received limited to no support. Through recommendations from several fri...read moreCustomer support! I've had handfuls of scanners over the years and support has always been the biggest variable. We recently had a scanner bought through and implant company and received limited to no support. Through recommendations from several friends, I purchased a second scanner through cad-ray and had them transfer over our support for the first. I wish I would have done this years ago. Destaney, has been incredible helping us troubleshoot a hardware issue that came up. It was on 3-shapes side but not only did she run it up the ladder there and get us back up and running quickly, but she promptly answered all questions and continuously checked in to make sure things were moving along. I won't purchase from anyone else going forward.read less - 8/14/2024
Diego Humberto Marquez Rodriguez
I am a very happy customer, the team behind cad ray, is amazing. Ive had small issues, and tech support is always available. I always call for them to help me use new apps, or updates and they stay on the phone with me all thru out, until fixing the ...read moreI am a very happy customer, the team behind cad ray, is amazing. Ive had small issues, and tech support is always available. I always call for them to help me use new apps, or updates and they stay on the phone with me all thru out, until fixing the issue. Andy has helped me several times, and he's a really nice guy too, great attitude, doesn't make me feel dumb when I don't understand. Sometimes it feels like he's part of my office team! Thank you Cad Ray, thank you Andy!read less - 2/01/2023
Mike Davis
I have been very happy with the Medit I purchased from Cad Ray. Everyone has been very helpful and quick to respond to my questions. They have an awesome video library for the medit, I am new to scanning and have really enjoyed the tutorial videos. - 6/16/2020
Thuy Nguyen
CAD-Ray is amazing! Prompt replies, quick delivery, knowledgeable team! I had some cracks on my scanner that I read on their FB group may be a manufacturer's defect. My scanner was still covered under warranty. They overnighted a brand new one to me ...read moreCAD-Ray is amazing! Prompt replies, quick delivery, knowledgeable team! I had some cracks on my scanner that I read on their FB group may be a manufacturer's defect. My scanner was still covered under warranty. They overnighted a brand new one to me before I even knew they were going to replace it! That's how quick they are! Highly recommend them!!!read less - 12/23/2021
Brandon Jones
Cad-Ray customer service is great! Super responsive and efficient. - 3/26/2024
Madhavi Chavda
Still beginner to use IO scanner. best customer service. Live training was very useful. Andy Nova was great in improving my skill for scanning and showing me all features. Thank you. - 5/19/2022
These guys are great. Always quick to answers questions and trouble shoot. Only a text away...they are spot on. Would purchase from them again in a heart beat......and will soon! We are getting close to adding a second Medit i500 to the office. Every...read moreThese guys are great. Always quick to answers questions and trouble shoot. Only a text away...they are spot on. Would purchase from them again in a heart beat......and will soon! We are getting close to adding a second Medit i500 to the office. Everyone whats to use the one we have!read less - 6/19/2020
Aaron Olson
This product is the best out there. Do the math and your ROI makes more sense than most products we purchase as dentists. Get on the digital train or you’ll be left behind. This is the best product to make the jump with. - 6/16/2020
These guys are great. My favorite part about them is they set you up for success with your products. A lot of dental companies will be happy to sell you big ticket tech item but don't have much to set you up for success. I bought the Medit i500 and t...read moreThese guys are great. My favorite part about them is they set you up for success with your products. A lot of dental companies will be happy to sell you big ticket tech item but don't have much to set you up for success. I bought the Medit i500 and they have tons of videos on how to get it working and working well for you in your office. If you need a much of hand holding they have that our if you are like me and like the do it yourself videos they have that. I am sure you can buy these products all over but it is there service that sets them apart. If to are looking to buy some dental tech use these guys!read less - 6/05/2020
Linsay N Brandon Jarvis
As a lab we see a lot of scans. Great quality and easy to create great restorations from the Medit offices that send us work.- Jarvis dental lab - 1/29/2019
Susan Latimer
Cad Ray has always provided me with the best customer support for my Medit scanner. Today, I worked with Destiny. She is quick to respond and identify problems and also great at explaining how to fix them! I highly recommend this company! - 5/01/2025
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 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
Iggy “Iggy” Deleon
There’s a reason why all cardray reviews are 5 stars only. They have the best people on their team. Jesse is the best trainer and provides above and beyond support. I can’t count the number of times that he’s saved me in the clinic with his designs. ...read moreThere’s a reason why all cardray reviews are 5 stars only. They have the best people on their team. Jesse is the best trainer and provides above and beyond support. I can’t count the number of times that he’s saved me in the clinic with his designs. He’s truly a master at his craft and one of the best assets to the cad ray team!read less - 2/02/2023
Ryan Crain
I love my Medit and Cad-Ray has been so easy to work with, both from a sales and support standpoint. - 7/16/2020
Everyone I have dealt with during the process of buying my new N4 VHF mill (which by the way is fantastic) last year to buying a new iMedit 500 scanner. Having the open type system has been a God send. No more held hostage by the 2 main systems us ...read moreEveryone I have dealt with during the process of buying my new N4 VHF mill (which by the way is fantastic) last year to buying a new iMedit 500 scanner. Having the open type system has been a God send. No more held hostage by the 2 main systems us same day crown dentists have had to deal with for years. Cad-ray made the financing a snap and the post customer support is unbelievable. Thank you everyone at Cad-Rayread less - 5/12/2020
Cody Boseman
Cad-ray has been amazing, not to mention they have an amazing product in the medit i500. Their training is great, customer service is quick and thorough, and follow up is consistent. I highly recommend using cad-ray for anything that you may need. - 6/19/2020
Suresh Goel
CAD-Ray is a great resource for all things digital. Knowledgeable team but also able to anticipate your needs and because they’ve done it so many times they seem to know what you need before you do! Definitely the first place to look for digital ha...read moreCAD-Ray is a great resource for all things digital. Knowledgeable team but also able to anticipate your needs and because they’ve done it so many times they seem to know what you need before you do! Definitely the first place to look for digital hardware and integration!read less - 6/16/2020
Franco Picofazzi
Great product at an affordable price, not to mention Andy's help at customer service. Highly recommended. - 6/23/2022
Medit i500 is an incredible scanner. I have experience with other types of scanners including IO and Desktop but this one is really impressive. It is blazing fast and takes beautiful scans. But more importantly is the company itself. Medit is an amaz...read moreMedit i500 is an incredible scanner. I have experience with other types of scanners including IO and Desktop but this one is really impressive. It is blazing fast and takes beautiful scans. But more importantly is the company itself. Medit is an amazing company and is constantly trying to improve. They are always on the cutting edge and releasing new improvements all the time. They are always LISTENING to the customers on how to improve the scanning experience and change accordingly. The customer service is second to none. I highly recommend this scanner but even more highly recommend considering buying the scanner as a result of the great company and PEOPLE that stand behind it.read less - 10/09/2019
Jonathan and Nick have been a great tremendous help. They went out of their ways to help me upgrade my Medit i500 even though I didn’t purchase my Medit i500 scanner from them. They are the largest Medit scanner distributor and they have the custome...read moreJonathan and Nick have been a great tremendous help. They went out of their ways to help me upgrade my Medit i500 even though I didn’t purchase my Medit i500 scanner from them. They are the largest Medit scanner distributor and they have the customers’ interest at heart. They are super responsive to phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages. I highly recommend their servicesread less - 9/01/2021
AJ Ganir
Cadray has great support and service! They are very responsive to questions. Love the new medit scanner! - 5/06/2021
Chris Kleist
Cad-Ray is the absolute best if you're in the market for digital dental tools. I have purchased two Medit scanners through them. There will be hiccups with any complex piece of machinery, but every time I have needed Cad-Ray, they have been there. I ...read moreCad-Ray is the absolute best if you're in the market for digital dental tools. I have purchased two Medit scanners through them. There will be hiccups with any complex piece of machinery, but every time I have needed Cad-Ray, they have been there. I recently had a scanner go down. I called Cad-Ray tech support and they got me on the phone with Medit immediately. Within a day, a replacement scanner was sitting on my desk. It doesn't get much better than that.read less - 10/18/2024
Nick Boyd
Great people. Very helpful with anything you need. - 6/16/2020
William Neurauter
As a small office, making the move to digital impression dentistry was a rather large commitment. After much research we settled on the Medit i500. We almost purchased from our implant supplier but were less than impressed with their training and...read moreAs a small office, making the move to digital impression dentistry was a rather large commitment. After much research we settled on the Medit i500. We almost purchased from our implant supplier but were less than impressed with their training and support options. After additional research we found Cad-Ray and couldn't be happier that we purchased from them. Their online tutorials and live support have been second to none. Having such a great support network behind the Medit made the transition and purchase so much better than it could have been had we gone a different route.read less - 11/30/2021
This company is excellent. Their knowledge, support, and sincerity is unmatched.Thank you, Frank, Damien, and Jonathan. You guys rock! - 5/08/2025
Dr. Terry Zervos, DDS,PA.
Today I had to order new tips and Laura was EXTREMELY helpful, Cad-Ray has all the products you need for digital dentistry and they do Education, if you buy Medit scanner from them they include 12 CE training course. Cant just buy a Lamborghini you h...read moreToday I had to order new tips and Laura was EXTREMELY helpful, Cad-Ray has all the products you need for digital dentistry and they do Education, if you buy Medit scanner from them they include 12 CE training course. Cant just buy a Lamborghini you have to learn how to drive it!read less - 7/02/2020
Sherif Gabr
I have been suing the Medit i500 scanner for a little over 2 months now and I have had great success. I have used it for implant cases, immediate dentures and single unit crowns.
What I like the most is that the software is continuously improving ...read moreI have been suing the Medit i500 scanner for a little over 2 months now and I have had great success. I have used it for implant cases, immediate dentures and single unit crowns.
What I like the most is that the software is continuously improving and adding new features.
You really can not ask for more than that! Great product, excellent support and a software development team that listens to their customers feedback!
Very happy with my purchase!!!read less - 2/26/2020
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
Steven Oshins
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
Angelique Freking
I recently purchased the Medit i500 and am in love. I've used all the other scanners in my career, but this is my favorite hands down. I had a very easy, great purchasing experience and would happily refer anyone to this company and this particular s...read moreI recently purchased the Medit i500 and am in love. I've used all the other scanners in my career, but this is my favorite hands down. I had a very easy, great purchasing experience and would happily refer anyone to this company and this particular scanner.read less - 6/19/2020
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
Scott Terry
Six Stars! On a scale of one to five, I give CAD-Ray six stars. They really are that good. If you are purchasing an intra-oral scanner, I would recommend buying the Medit I-700. It is a dream machine. But, if you want incredible service every time, y...read moreSix Stars! On a scale of one to five, I give CAD-Ray six stars. They really are that good. If you are purchasing an intra-oral scanner, I would recommend buying the Medit I-700. It is a dream machine. But, if you want incredible service every time, you should buy your scanner from Cad-Ray. They have come through with flying colors each time I have contacted them. Their sales team great and their service is amazing. They have volumes of educational videos available, as well. I have worked with Jonathan, Damien, Frank, Armen and Laura. In a time where we are seeing the opposite, CAD-Ray will totally blow you away with the entire experience. I totally appreciate them and their value.read less - 11/01/2021
Shefali Pilar
Our office has been using the Medit scanner for a few months now and are loving it! CAD-Ray was super easy to work with in purchasing the scanner and providing support as needed. Their Facebook forum with the updates and video tutorials are incredibl...read moreOur office has been using the Medit scanner for a few months now and are loving it! CAD-Ray was super easy to work with in purchasing the scanner and providing support as needed. Their Facebook forum with the updates and video tutorials are incredibly helpful.read less - 6/16/2020
Paul Crespo
Cad-Ray has been instrumental in implementing and supporting our experience with scanning. Having scanned previously with other services I can truly say that Cad-Ray takes their clients very seriously and will not leave you hanging. They set the ba...read moreCad-Ray has been instrumental in implementing and supporting our experience with scanning. Having scanned previously with other services I can truly say that Cad-Ray takes their clients very seriously and will not leave you hanging. They set the bar very high. Cad-Ray all the way!read less - 12/09/2021
Robin Thoman
Instant support, nice people at Cad-Ray but LOTS of trouble getting CIT 12m same-as-cash approval as offered. CIT fumbled around for 7d in finding credit report. Eventually fed up with inactivity or support after lifting Equifax credit freeze and d...read moreInstant support, nice people at Cad-Ray but LOTS of trouble getting CIT 12m same-as-cash approval as offered. CIT fumbled around for 7d in finding credit report. Eventually fed up with inactivity or support after lifting Equifax credit freeze and directed to Experian quagmire of automated phone calling tree.read less - 1/09/2021
Shant Aharonian
Cad-ray has to be the best company to work with when it comes to digital dentistry solutions. Here are the reasons why:
1. Experience. Everyone in the company has extensive experience in dentistry. They have used all digital platforms and offer cust...read moreCad-ray has to be the best company to work with when it comes to digital dentistry solutions. Here are the reasons why:
1. Experience. Everyone in the company has extensive experience in dentistry. They have used all digital platforms and offer customers first hand experience.
2. Honesty. Based on their experience they share all the good/bad of different systems. They work with you to find a solution that works best for you. Not sell you the piece of the equipment that gives them the biggest commission.
3. Support. Cad-ray offers the missing piece of the dentist/digital manufacturer puzzle. Many other distributors sell you a piece of equipment but don’t have true day-to-day experience with that equipment. Cad-ray’s team openly share their expertise to help customers optimize their workflows with great technology.
4. Passion. The Cad-ray team is extremely passionate about their craft. They truly believe in what they have to offer.
I took Armen Mirzayan’s course on intraoral scanning and it was truly mind blowing. Armen’s insights will help any dentist optimize their craft. I purchased the full sprintray 3d printing ecosystem the help of Frank. I plan to purchase more equipment from cad-ray.
Also, Jesse is a genius in regards to all aspect of digital workflows. I’m truly grateful for this company and everyone who I’ve worked with so far.read less - 10/07/2022
Buddy “BTay” Taylor
I600 - so far its great! - 8/23/2022
Thomas Lim
5 stars for a great product and great service. After much research I knew I was set on the Medit 500. I considered some of my local equipment reps, as well as cad-ray. Cad-ray won out due to their efficiency, speed of service, and knowledge. Their on...read more5 stars for a great product and great service. After much research I knew I was set on the Medit 500. I considered some of my local equipment reps, as well as cad-ray. Cad-ray won out due to their efficiency, speed of service, and knowledge. Their online presence makes it easy to get help via messaging, social media, or phone. The fact that one of the employees of Medit (an engineer?) posts on the cad-Ray Facebook group speaks volumes of the vendor-mfg relations.
The scanner itself works great, but make sure to contact them to get the minimum specs required for a laptop — it will make a difference in how the scanner performs. I had some slow scans at first but upgraded from 8gb to 32gb ram and also got some coaching from customer service (Frank) to get me up to speed.
To make the scanner mobile, I purchased this cart from Staples: https://www.staples.com/Oklahoma-Sound-Premium-Audio-Visual-Presentation-Cart-40-1-2-H-x-18-W-x-30-D-Black-Ivory-Wood/product_932437.
Lastly, I purchased “3M Dual Lock Fastener” to keep the power module attached to the wand from falling off the cart. I carry the scanner between two offices, so I wanted something sturdy, but removable. (see in photos). The hockey puck shaped holder (comes with the scanner) is heavy and sticks to the countertop without needing any adhesive.read less - 10/12/2019
Extremely good customer service. From start to finish buying my Medit was flawless and they were very helpful in offering me information. When I got my scanner I had questions and my phone calls were returned immediately. They knew my name and guided...read moreExtremely good customer service. From start to finish buying my Medit was flawless and they were very helpful in offering me information. When I got my scanner I had questions and my phone calls were returned immediately. They knew my name and guided me through what I would need. Very impressed. Would recommend!read less - 2/02/2020
Dong Lim
I’ve been using Medit for close to 2 years. It’s a must for any practice. No evil monthly subscription and great support from CAD ray - 6/16/2020
Travis Kendall
This scanner is amazing! It’s hard to believe that it is less then half the price of 3 shape with zero yearly charges. I highly recommend you give it a try! - 10/09/2019
The i500 has been a game-changer for our orthodontic practice. Patients love not having to do alginate impressions. Records appointments and debands take much less time plus there's significantly less clean-up. And it's fast/easy enough to use tha...read moreThe i500 has been a game-changer for our orthodontic practice. Patients love not having to do alginate impressions. Records appointments and debands take much less time plus there's significantly less clean-up. And it's fast/easy enough to use that we've even been able to train summer interns to scans with zero prior dental experience. Our retainers, nightguards, and sleep apnea appliances all showed improved fit with less chair-side delivery time due to accuracy of the scans. Customer support is top-notch. Whenever we've had issues, we get someone immediately and they either talk us through a fix or login via screenshare to help us directly. They have a great loyalty program which gives significant discounts to upgrade to newer units. We recently took advantage and are excited to try out the new i700, especially since they're now Mac-compatible. Simple version: Great intra-oral scanner, easy to use/operate, intuitive software interface, fantastic support.read less - 8/16/2023
Full arch scan, metal abutment, ceramics, lots of reflective surfaces all captured in under 90 seconds with no powder. just have to hit the metal at different angles and focal lengths, retract the lips and tongue and dry and you will fly with your ios
A repetitive theme that is a common issue with all intra-oral scanners is the inadvertant capture of data that does not belong to the model you are building. The software and camera are smart enough to ignore the tongue and the lip, but if they show up repeatedly in an area you are scanning, they ultimately get incorporated in the equation.
In this image, you can see how the tongue is capture on the occlusal surface of the second molar. The trouble is that the ios does not recognize the difference between soft tissue and hard tissue (yet) and once it is part of the model and you go back to the area you want to scan, the software is actually looking for that (now) displaced data. Since it is not present, the camera cannot initiate the capture of new data and the user gets frustrated with the red box instead of the green box.
Retract the lips and the tongue and you can easily capture an arch in 60 seconds.
This is a first molar crown that was replaced with an in-office milled eMax restoration. The adjacent second molar had recurrent decay under the existing class 2 restoration. That was removed and replaced and pre-existing crown was also removed.
The preparation was refined and the recurrent decay was removed. Once hemostasis was achieved and the tissue was retracted the area was scanned with the medit i500. The crown was designed to full contour and milled chairside. After it was chrystalized, it was bonded into place with Nx3 resin cement. The excess was removed and an immediate post-op bitewing was taken to verify that no excess cement was left behind.
Pre-Op
This video shows the design of a crown after the impression was taken where vivid colors of the retraction cord, the sulcus, the preparation, and the details of the adjacent tooth can be visualized.
[videopress 25yUA1tp permalink=”false” hd=”true”]
Immediate Post-Op
Download the case files in OBJ Format
It i sometimes confusing to some doctors when looking at bitewings shot at specific angles that make the margin look like it has filled in with resin, or the the margin is “raised” with composite material. When looking at a sloping margin, where you have a deep chamfer or finish line, instead of a shoulder margin, when you take a bitewing immediate post-op X-ray, the flow of the margin line is superimposed on itself due to the two dimensional image.
Clinically, if you look at the margin design, you will appreciate the anatomy of the prep and how that can lead to this effect.
This is a lesson in chairside efficiency for all CAD/CAM users. Traditionally, you would be forced to prep two teeth and impress them both at same time, but with digital dentistry, you can break the case up and do it in segments, as if they are two separate patients involved.
In this particular case, the restorations were designed, milled, and seated in a single appointment. To speed things along, only the second premolar was addressed; it was prepared, imaged, designed and milled. While milling, the second molar was prepared.
After the tryin, they were chrystalized and seated at the same time. Leveraging preparation time with mill time of multiple units can greatly increase efficiency at chairside. See the following videos to pick up on all the details of the case.
One of the greatest advantages of digital impressions is the ability to copy a pre-existing condition. This has a lot of benefits, one of which is that the patient will not notice a difference in the new restoration vs. the old one. For this to happen with the medit i500, you need an extra image catalog box. Rumor is that this will be available in the near future. Since we only have the upper and lower jaws, and the buccal bite to imagine into (and scanbody catalog boxes), what you can simply do is treat the case as if they are two separate patients.
Create a new patient, and scan the preop condition and save the case. Once processed, you can export the case file in OBJ, PLY, or STL format.
You can then launch a second case, where you take the opposing, the prepared arch, and the buccal bite images. You can download the Korolation OBJ case files and design along. Just remember, in exocad, the upper and lower arches from “patient #2″ will automatically articulate with each other, but you will have to manual import the preop scan and merge the prepped model and the pre-op models.
[videopress RkqfM9CJ permalink=”false” hd=”true”]
Once you import in the pre-op condition, you can manually relate the models to each other by identifying common landmarks between the two models. After you perform alignment, you can then click on “Best fit matching”. The color scheme in exocad is a great guide in letting you know how well you have articulated the models together.
[videopress U5aJCxQ3]
The more blue you see in the Korolated models, the more reliable your stitch is and you can be assured of greater accuracy in your final restoration.
Happy Hump Day! We might be in your area! It’s going to be a crazy month! Here’s the 411! WE ARE SHOWING THE WORLD HOW MUCH WE LOVE DIGITAL DENTISTRY! C2 will be traveling to Utah this weekend for a show on Saturday….
North Carolina & South Carolina Sunday & Monday!
Send us a PM if would like a demo! #mediti500 #c2style #welovedigitaldentistry
Grady Dix Armen Mirzayan Frank Weinstein Carol BarberLamb
This a very common question we get at CAD-Ray.com and it reflects on how little dentists understand about digital impressions and CAD/CAM in general.
“Digital Ready”
It reminds me of a dental conference I want to, fresh out of school, placing orders for our start-up practice. As we went to the X-Ray equipment section, one of the first things the representative said to us was that their machines are “Digital Ready”! We all had good laugh explaining to the rep that the machine had nothing to do with digital X-Rays, the sensors did!
We feel the same way with digital impressions and CAD/CAM platforms when people talk about integration and making sure one “product talks to the another ” and how it all needs to be developed by the same single manufacturer. It’s loaded with a lot of inaccuracies and misrepresentations.
The reality is that every system has its flaws and can have just as much trouble talking to a machine manufactured by the same company! As dentists, we are much smarter with our decision processes now, but it is still a buyer-be-ware landscape.
Here are some basics you should appreciate before committing to a high ticket item. It’s imperative to understand that imaging has little to no impact on milling. These are completely independent processes- let us explain:
You can image (take an intra-oral scan) with system A. Then you can take the data from system A and take it to CAD software of system B. A lot can go wrong here at this step alone. Simple examples include;
The patient name doesn’t come along with the data.
Incorrect data may come across with incorrect information- you can have the occlusal relationship look perfect in system A but when it goes to CAD, the bite can be off.
You mark your margins in A, but they are distorted in cad software. So you have to make sure this works.
Keep in mind that this can even happen if you stay within a “System A” or “complete system”. Luckily a lot of this is ironed out already with legacy and legitimate products and competent practitioners. Now comes the design step. You have a few choices; exocad and 3shape being the leaders. If exocad does the margin placement and the final restoration from start to finish, a lot of errors are eliminated.
After the design process, comes the nesting and manufacturing. At this step, the milling machine has NO idea what iOS you have used. It’s just data for a restoration that it needs to process. Ar this most vulnerable step, we need to make sure the CAM software for a particular machine can interpret the design software that did the nesting. A lot happens here;
Then comes the consideration for your milling needs.
You can mill soft ceramics for 15,000$
For a little more, you can wet mill emax
Cross the 30k barrier with and you can cut zirconia (we do NOT recommend in office zirconia- dumbest thing you can do)
Closer to 40k and you can do in house metal custom abutments.
Over 40k you can mill roundhouse bridges and you are as much a labtech as a dentist.
The trickiest part of all this is the last step. Making sure the mill has the right cam to talk to design software. This can be a nightmare if you don’t do your homework.
So, with the Medit iOS you can mill to any machine. You can even take it to cerec inlab software and Jump through a lot of hoops to mill with CEREC chair side milling machine. Not worth the headache!
The CEREC chairside mill remains the fastest carver of emax restorations, but it can come at a cost – you need to bulk out the margins so they don’t break off at mill.
It was a long struggle to find margins with the Omnicam and after 4 years it was sold. The margin definition and resolution never reached an acceptable level. After seeing margins from high resolution scans by the Medit and defining them in exocad, it completely validated that we shouldn’t settle for anything less than the highest standard. This is an scan performed on a upper second molar with tough access, replacing a failing crown.
This article demonstrate how a case be set up while the patient is being anesthetized. While waiting for it to take effect, your team can scan the opposing arch, the arch to be prepared, and even the buccal bite. You can see how that is set up in first video. Notice how we crop out the tooth to be prepared so that the software doesn’t get confused between the preop and prep stages.
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Once the tooth is prepared, the premolar is imaged back into the arch form in high resolution mode. This mode comes in handy for picking up the enamel that is exposed at the cavosurface margins. Some intra-oral imaging systems struggle with picking up the detail in these situations.
You can see how clearly discernible the margins are in this preview. Feel free to download the case data at the end of the article. Please note that areas that are not critical for the restoration design were essentially ignore as they play no significant role in the desired outcome.
To see this case presented in webinar fashion click on the image and enter the members area for much greater detail and information
Pre-existing restorations that warranted replacement with an increase in vertical dimension.
Pre-existing restorations that warranted replacement with an increase in vertical dimension. The upper and lower arch were captured with the medit I500 and articulated together with enough clearance to accommodate new restorations and to restore the patient to an ideal tooth position.
This video shows how the vertical dimension was captured with cotton rolls blocking out the tongue and the dark oro-pharynx, which usually spell trouble for an IOS
The digital models were then imported into a third party software where a library of tooth morphologies are available for the clinician to choose from.
Once the appropriate library is chosen, the digital wax ups are performed. In the subsequent photos you can see the transparent overlay of the wax-ups to the original position of the existing dentition
Once the case is designed to the ideal vertical dimension then multiple shells can be fabricated for treatment. The wax up model can be uniformly reduced by .5mmm’s circumferentially and a temporary shell can be designed. Once the teeth are prepared, these shells can be relined and seated onto the preps.
FIRST VERTICAL DIMENSION
The initial vertical dimension was greater than desired and the tooth shape was too bulky in appearance.
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ADJUSTED TEMPORARIES AND NEW VERTICAL DIMENSION
Over the course of a few appointments, the vertical dimension was reduced and the temporaries were adjusted to the patient’s desires. The new upper and lower arch were captured with the Medit i500 and the jaws were related to each other.
This was then imported into exocad where the prepped arches from a few weeks prior were force matched to the new bite
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After the upper jaw was related to the temps, the same was done with the lower arch. Great care was taken to make sure the arches were properly related to each other throughout the process
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CASE DESIGNS
The case was designed by CADENT BESSA, and the models were printed by Burbank Dental Lab with Carbon Printers. There restorations were milled and cut back and layered by Burbank Dental Lab
When planning for guided surgery in edentulous patients, it is important to have the final vertical dimension and tooth position determined. Ideally, a denture duplicate should be used with proper radiographic markers.
The traditional way was to embed radio-opaque material in the denture dupe, CT scan the patient with the denture dupes, and then CT scan the denture dupes themselves. Alternatively, you can scan the denture duplicates with a digital impression system. Here we used flowable composite and spread them through the wax set up and take a 3D X-ray of the patient. We then use those landmarks to merge the data sets between the digitize denture and the markers on the CT Scan
Once the dentures are digitized and merged with the CT data, the cases is analyzed to make sure there are no gaps in between the intaglio of the denture and the soft tissue of the palate and the lower / mandibular ridge
An important concept to keep in mind for these edentulous cases is that you actually need 2 models for each arch. One model is used for tooth positioning and implant design, and the other model is used for stent design. Essentially, you design the stent on the ridge, not the denture dupe
One of the biggest hassles in most software is to plan a guided surgery case when the tooth is still present in the arch. Some software will force you to part-take in pylon course handling, gymnastics maneuvers, musical chairs, and multiple imports and exports. The issue revolves around the placement of the sleeve / ring in the design step. Usually you are forced to manipulate the data in 3rd party software and then bring it back with the tooth virtually extracted.
This article is about how you can scan the arches and export the STL, OBJ, or PLY data from the Medit i500 scanner. You can then clone the same case and alter it- namely, you can crop out the tooth that will be extracted in the future. This video shows you how the virtual extraction is performed.
The multiple data sets are then imported in BlueSkyBio software where there are no limits to the number of models you can bring in. In the following video, you can see how the complete upper arch, the virtually extracted lateral arch model, and the opposing are brought in an merged with the CT Data.
The implant is planned for fully guided procedure and a surgical stent is manufactured on the model that has the virtual extraction. You cannot design a stent correctly with the tooth present in the equation. Open architecture and speedy results are the name of the game now with CAD/CAM dentistry. As you can see, these steps are super fast and easy with the open licensed Medit Scanner
This article documents how to capture upper and lower scans for an oral appliance to treat obstructive sleep apnea. The patient was recently diagnosed with mild sleep apnea with a Home Study Test which revealed quite a lot about his sleeping habits and patterns.
The patient decided to pursue treatment with an oral appliance in lieu of CPAP therapy. Upper and lower impressions were taken, and the occlusal relationship was captured in protrusive and with the vertical dimension set a a tolerable distance. Cotton rolls were used to block out the movement of the tongue which usually interferes with capturing the bite.
Once the bite is captured, we recommend that you move back to the maxilla and mandible catalog box and take additional images to complete and remaining voids in the model. At the end of the article, you can download in multiple formats to see the meshwork and the data that is rendered from the Medit i500 scanner.
Once the patient adapts to the appliance, a titration study will be conducted to measure the effectiveness of the oral appliance
This is a case imaged for an occlusal guard, wehre the upper arch took only 43 seconds to capture. Afterwads, the lower arch is captured, and then ultimately we move to the dual buccal bite. To get enough clearance, we just have the patient bite down on two cotton rolls and hold that position.
One thing to keep in mind is that when you move from one image catalog to another, some processing is done. What we recommend you do is to actually go back to your upper and lower models and fill in any missing data or correct any artifact you may have captured inadvertently. You can see in the footage how the second molars are corrected and filled in with good information.
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