You guys are great! I have been a Cerec user for about a decade and wanted to expand my horizons. I bought the I700 and have just loved it. We don't do impressions any more, only scanning, even for the full arch. The customer service has been excelle...read moreYou guys are great! I have been a Cerec user for about a decade and wanted to expand my horizons. I bought the I700 and have just loved it. We don't do impressions any more, only scanning, even for the full arch. The customer service has been excellent, even though I haven't had any problems with the scanner. I really like the online learning modules, they have been awesome getting me up to speed with the scanner quickly. I am looking forward to some of the in person courses to maximize the usefulness of this scanner. -- Jeff Allred, DDS FAGD DABOI FAAIDread less - 9/28/2021
Cadray is excellent and their medit scanner is amazing! - 6/16/2020
Kirk Arritt (fldnstrm)
Whatever digital workflow addition you want to add to your dental practice look no further than Cad-Ray. Top notch support and training. - 1/29/2023
W Timothy Brooks
Excellent fast color scanner. A great improvement over my old proprietary scanner. Easy to learn software and great free technical support. - 6/18/2020
This is my second review. I posted the first after having Medit for about 9 months. Loved it then, had great success with using the scanner to take full arch scans for clear aligner therapy, study models, removable partials, and crown and bridge. ...read moreThis is my second review. I posted the first after having Medit for about 9 months. Loved it then, had great success with using the scanner to take full arch scans for clear aligner therapy, study models, removable partials, and crown and bridge. Have kept using it and am still very happy with the Medit and with Cad-Ray. The scanner takes care of so many things in a way that impresses patients and pleases lab techs. Whenever I hit a computer glitch, I call Armen, Frank or any other members of the gang and my problems are solved quickly and without drama.read less - 6/16/2020
I always have enjoyed working with Cad-ray. Customer service is always on-point! - 5/25/2022
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
Kurt Adamson
I was on the fence for a few years about getting into intra-oral scanning. I finally did it in the fall of 2019 and haven't looked back. I was hesitant mostly because I didn't want to spend a lot on $$$ on something that I don't end up implementing. ...read moreI was on the fence for a few years about getting into intra-oral scanning. I finally did it in the fall of 2019 and haven't looked back. I was hesitant mostly because I didn't want to spend a lot on $$$ on something that I don't end up implementing. I found that I love scanning, I feel like it has improved my quality of preps and my OCD of being able to verify accuracy. I recommend Cad-ray because they want you to succeed. They are always available. They have been through this process many times, they know what does and doesn't work. My experience is with the Medit i500 IOS.read less - 6/19/2020
Jose Morales
Service is extremely quick and on point. Highly recommended to join the Cad Ray facebook group! - 6/01/2022
Brandon Erickson
I have strong feelings about how great CAD-Ray has been. I purchased a medit i500 scanner from my lap, they wanted to use it for courses which aren't happening now so he didn't want to be sitting with this expensive piece of technology sitting aroun...read moreI have strong feelings about how great CAD-Ray has been. I purchased a medit i500 scanner from my lap, they wanted to use it for courses which aren't happening now so he didn't want to be sitting with this expensive piece of technology sitting around. Before purchasing he and I both talked to the Nobel sales rep who assured me that everything would transfer over just fine. I was concerned about the learning curve and wanted to be sure that I would have tech support. I asked the rep directly and he assured me again that everything would be great and he would come do an in-depth training with me. Long story short, the sales rep had no clue what he was doing and put very little effort in to helping me once the purchase was complete. I asked him over the phone how to do a few things and his response was to call CAD-Ray. They explained that this happens, they would love to help me but asked that I purchase the service package. That was a game changer. Now all of my questions getting answered, their response time is amazing and their understanding of the machine is by far better then the Nobel reps. The scanner is great but combine that with their tech support and I feel like I'm set up for success. If I were to do this again, I would skip the headache of trying to save a little bit of money and purchase it through CAD-Ray. But even with making the mistake, I feel like they have programs and support set up to point me in the right direction.read less - 10/15/2020
Graham Reed
I got the Medit scanner last fall and I have been nothing but impressed by it and the support by CAD-Ray. The level of support, training videos, and continuously upgraded software is really impressive. If you are on the fence, you should feel confide...read moreI got the Medit scanner last fall and I have been nothing but impressed by it and the support by CAD-Ray. The level of support, training videos, and continuously upgraded software is really impressive. If you are on the fence, you should feel confident in moving forward with CAD-Ray.read less - 6/16/2020
Tony Cascino
I just purchased the CAD-Ray unit at Chicago Mid Winter meeting. We have used it for single crowns so far and have been very pleased. Nick was my sales contact and he has helped a great deal with some of our 'learning curve " issues. I looked at a nu...read moreI just purchased the CAD-Ray unit at Chicago Mid Winter meeting. We have used it for single crowns so far and have been very pleased. Nick was my sales contact and he has helped a great deal with some of our 'learning curve " issues. I looked at a number of scanners and felt CAD-Ray was the best-two of the labs I use also feel it is the best scanner.read less - 5/12/2020
Matt St George
I had 3 Cerec machines and switched to medit. It’s awesome and do not regret the switch one bit. This is the place to buy it bc Armen and Frank are a wealth of knowledge and Frank is awesome with support. He’s always there whenever I need him! - 10/10/2019
Got Medit scanner from CAD-ray 5 months ago. Today got help from Rayan. Rayan has a lot of patience ,explained everything I asked him . Absolutly satisfied. Great service, great support. - 10/19/2023
Evan Bedell
Laura has always been so helpful with the medit when we needed assistance or resources. The training she provided the office was invaluable! She is quick to respond whenever we reach out. 13/10 - would recommend her to anyone looking to get a medit ...read moreLaura has always been so helpful with the medit when we needed assistance or resources. The training she provided the office was invaluable! She is quick to respond whenever we reach out. 13/10 - would recommend her to anyone looking to get a medit scanner.read less - 12/16/2021
Rodney Baier
Cad ray has been very nice to work with. Excellence service and support since I bought my Medit scanner - 6/16/2020
Charlyn Quiec
Fast response. Customer service eager to help and very friendly. :) - 3/21/2023
Jacob Rogers
I love this scanner. Seriously, how can you fit so much quality into the scanner, software and support and such a low price? Magic?!?! Probably. But, for real, we really like using this scanner and it produces great results. Best dental purchas...read moreI love this scanner. Seriously, how can you fit so much quality into the scanner, software and support and such a low price? Magic?!?! Probably. But, for real, we really like using this scanner and it produces great results. Best dental purchase I've ever made!read less - 10/09/2019
Just got this scanner a few weeks ago. Has changed my workflow. Easy scanner to use. What's truly great is the support behind the product. Whether by call or fb messenger, I have never not been able to reach someone who solved the issue! Very pleas...read moreJust got this scanner a few weeks ago. Has changed my workflow. Easy scanner to use. What's truly great is the support behind the product. Whether by call or fb messenger, I have never not been able to reach someone who solved the issue! Very pleased so far.read less - 6/19/2020
robert delaney
This summer I decided that it was time to purchase a scanner and train with my team. We could not be more excited as our experience with Laura at Cad-Ray has been just amazing. From the initial sales discussions to the support and training after the ...read moreThis summer I decided that it was time to purchase a scanner and train with my team. We could not be more excited as our experience with Laura at Cad-Ray has been just amazing. From the initial sales discussions to the support and training after the purchase I am very thankful to have purchased my Medit scanner from Cad-Ray. Every text and phone call has been given prompt attention and the after the sale support is first rate. It is a pleasure to leave a 5 star review for both the technology and for Laura!read less - 12/16/2021
Jared Gustafson
One of the best companies to work with for dental tech needs. They have a vast video training library that makes the transition easy to digital dentistry. I’ve recommended a few of my colleagues purchase the medit through them. It’s been a great year...read moreOne of the best companies to work with for dental tech needs. They have a vast video training library that makes the transition easy to digital dentistry. I’ve recommended a few of my colleagues purchase the medit through them. It’s been a great year!read less - 6/16/2020
Victoria Rinando
Danielle was super helpful and kind trouble shooting to get us back up and going very quickly this morning. We appreciate it! - 4/15/2025
Tiffany Lee
Update to CAD-Ray as this company has morphed into something even better and grander than it was previously. This is the company where you go to when you need a scanner or 3d printer. Their customer service is second to none and their training on sca...read moreUpdate to CAD-Ray as this company has morphed into something even better and grander than it was previously. This is the company where you go to when you need a scanner or 3d printer. Their customer service is second to none and their training on scanners is top level. Don't buy your scanners anywhere else because Cad-Ray is the only company who knows how to solve any of your problems and provides the best technical support. I recently had purchased a software to mill crowns from my medit to my MCXL. No body could get it to work.12 months in and I was resigned to it not working and not being able to mill in house. With Cad-Ray's tremendous hard work, we were able to get the milling unit synchronized to the inlab and inlab synchronized to clinux and clinux meshed to medit. I am now milling scanned crowns for the first time in about 12 months. Yay Cad-Ray, Thank you!!!!!read less - 3/06/2024
Roger Wilson
CAD-Ray provides the best support around. I started scanning with Medit i500 in 2018 and my dental practice immediately changed for the better.As a rookie, I had a lot of questions and I calledCAD-Ray a lot in the beginning. They were great!Jonathan...read moreCAD-Ray provides the best support around. I started scanning with Medit i500 in 2018 and my dental practice immediately changed for the better.As a rookie, I had a lot of questions and I calledCAD-Ray a lot in the beginning. They were great!Jonathan Acker helped me get set up. Frank Weinstein answered tons of questions. Laura Geney became an important source of information as I moved into scan bodies, AI library, and had hardware questions. I’ve attended classes in Dallas featuring Armen Mirzayan who is incredibly knowledgeable and will tell you the good, bad, and the ugly about digital workflow. The possibilities are endless with scanning technology. I also want to mention Nick Statly who has visited my Dallas office and is a wealth of information. I have to admit that I frequently view the CAD-Ray User Group Face Book page just to pick up a few pearls here and there.I highly recommend CAD-Ray because their support is by far the best in the IOS industry and because their people honestly care about the customer and are truly committed to your success.read less - 12/23/2021
Kyle Coffin
Bought a medit 6 months ago and customer service has been nothing short of amazing. Always very responsive and helpful. Great scanner, too! - 6/16/2020
Chirag Vaid
I ordered my Medit scanner from them in Feb 2020, so far no issues with support or the product. They are a great company with great support. Disclosure: they did promise me a scanner tip for this review, but in all honestly I was meaning to give it t...read moreI ordered my Medit scanner from them in Feb 2020, so far no issues with support or the product. They are a great company with great support. Disclosure: they did promise me a scanner tip for this review, but in all honestly I was meaning to give it to them anyway.... if you are looking to buy, this is a great way to go about it.read less - 7/19/2020
Francis Shin
Amazing customer service. Wayne Glassoff helped me with purchase decision, taking the time to find out my needs, and then my order was delivered quickly! Easily the best "dental" purchase experience that I have ever had. - 9/07/2022
AJ Ganir
Cadray has great support and service! They are very responsive to questions. Love the new medit scanner! - 5/06/2021
Michelle Duong
Our office is new to using the Meditscan so far we love it. Our rep andy was so detailed and great with the training. Everything has been good so far and easy. Defenitely recommend. - 9/23/2022
Every time I need support for my scanner, the Cad-Ray team is there to help. I recently had a question on how to manipulate a scan and export it back to Medit Scan. Damien logged in and helped me out. Problem solved in under five minutes. Awesome ser...read moreEvery time I need support for my scanner, the Cad-Ray team is there to help. I recently had a question on how to manipulate a scan and export it back to Medit Scan. Damien logged in and helped me out. Problem solved in under five minutes. Awesome service. Thanks Cad-Ray support team!read less - 3/04/2022
Stephen S
Choosing an digital intraoral scanner these days can be quite a daunting task. When I reached out to CAD-Ray, as was recommended by many colleagues, I was connected to Frank DeLuca, and he made my decision-making process very simple. Upon receiving...read moreChoosing an digital intraoral scanner these days can be quite a daunting task. When I reached out to CAD-Ray, as was recommended by many colleagues, I was connected to Frank DeLuca, and he made my decision-making process very simple. Upon receiving my 3shape Trios 4 scanner, Frank and the entire tech support team/customer service were very helpful every step of the way. Frank makes himself available when he can in order to address all of the questions I have regarding the digital workflow. I highly recommend CAD-Ray. It will make your transition to digital scanning a positive experience.read less - 1/24/2023
George W
Frank DeLuca has been my rep for almost a year and has provided excellent, caring, professional service and with a great attitude. - 1/25/2023
K. Banani
Amazing customer service. I haven’t ever worked with a company where there is an issue, you can immediately get help and assistance and so far have not had an issue that CADRAY wasn’t able to fix. They made the process buy buying and maintaining a sc...read moreAmazing customer service. I haven’t ever worked with a company where there is an issue, you can immediately get help and assistance and so far have not had an issue that CADRAY wasn’t able to fix. They made the process buy buying and maintaining a scanner seamless. Highly recommend!read less - 2/23/2024
ed borio
I was dragging my feet before purchasing my first scanner because I was apprehensive of the effort required to change to a digital workflow. Laura assured me my fears were overblown and because of her patience and exceptional training abilities it h...read moreI was dragging my feet before purchasing my first scanner because I was apprehensive of the effort required to change to a digital workflow. Laura assured me my fears were overblown and because of her patience and exceptional training abilities it has been a rewarding and relatively seamless transition to the world of scanning. I never dreamed implementation would have been this easy and its attributed to Laura's skillful training ability. The scanner is wonderful and powerful, but we would have never been able to unlock its potential without her assistance.read less - 8/31/2021
only dental company that I have no complaints about - 11/03/2022
Joshua Mathis
Fantastic support. Bought a Medit Intraoral scanner and it has been a game changer in my practice. Can’t wait to pair a mill with the help of cadets in the future! - 6/19/2020
Oleg Eisenstein
Great products and services. Highly recommended - 6/16/2020
Been using my i700 for a month now and it's been great. The tutorials that Cad-ray provides have been very helpful. This scanner with a fast computer turns out great results. - 11/01/2021
I ordered a VHF N4+ from CadRay. About two weeks after the order was placed, they called me up and said, “VHF just got an exclusive with “The Big Boys” so they are cutting ties with all the little ind...read moreI’d like to tell you a story about CAD-Ray.com.
I ordered a VHF N4+ from CadRay. About two weeks after the order was placed, they called me up and said, “VHF just got an exclusive with “The Big Boys” so they are cutting ties with all the little independent distributors. They just called us, and we just found out. What this means is that we won’t be able to provide you service after purchasing the VHF mill that you just bought.”
Now, they could have just left it at that. They could have said, “Sorry, it’s out of our hands.” They could have said, “We appreciate your business, but it’s not our fault.” They could have said, “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
But they didn’t.
Frank Weinstein calls me up and tells me that they want to make this right, so they are going to hook me up with a brand new Imes Coritec One+ for the same price as the VHF. The Coritec One+ is like the Mercedes of mills for in-office. This is the new model that just barely came out. It is a 5 axis mill. It does wet and dry milling. It does blocks and pucks. It mills all materials know to man, including Vibranium. It can also fly the space shuttle, and make all your wishes and dreams come true. It’s that good. It came with the laptop, Exocad, all the tools, and all the bells and whistles. It came fully loaded. It came white glove delivered to my office. It came with in office training. It came with the extra bur package. It came with everything and the kitchen sink.
So, I paid 36k for a mill, and because of something that was not Cad-Rays fault, they ended up giving me a 60k mill for the same price.
In the words of the great Tony Stark: “That’s how Dad did it. That’s how Cad-Ray does it. And it’s worked out pretty well so far.”
Thank you Frank Weinstein and Armen Mirzayan for having outstanding customer service and going the extra mile every time.read less - 4/02/2021
Dwayne Bodie
Very happy with my Sprint Ray 3D printer. Frank D. went above and beyond with training my team on how to use it. He offered remote training as a courtesy and followed up to make sure we were ok. Highly recommend! - 1/25/2023
Preston Poole
Great company with even better customer service. Premier dental business with digital dentistry and scanners! - 11/03/2022
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
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
I recently made a purchase from Cad-Ray and the experience was truly outstanding. From my initial enquiry, Nick was incredibly supportive and knowledgeable, answering all of my questions thoroughly and guiding me to the product that would best meet m...read moreI recently made a purchase from Cad-Ray and the experience was truly outstanding. From my initial enquiry, Nick was incredibly supportive and knowledgeable, answering all of my questions thoroughly and guiding me to the product that would best meet my needs. What really set this experience apart was his non-pushy approach. Nick showed genuine interest in understanding my specific requirements, ensuring that I would be fully satisfied with my choice. This type of customer service is rare and it made the whole process much more enjoyable. I can confidently recommend Cad-Ray to others not just for their high-quality products, but for their exceptional customer service. A big thank you to Nick and the entire Cad-Ray team for their professionalism and dedication.read less - 5/17/2023
Norman Knowles
I have had the original iTero, a Trios 3, and a Carestream CS3600. A staff member broke the lens on the Trios and while waiting 3 weeks for an RMA to send it to Poland for six weeks to get it repaired, Carestream was sniffing around and suggested tha...read moreI have had the original iTero, a Trios 3, and a Carestream CS3600. A staff member broke the lens on the Trios and while waiting 3 weeks for an RMA to send it to Poland for six weeks to get it repaired, Carestream was sniffing around and suggested that I trade in my Trios so I did which began a 4 month nightmare with their piece of junk scanner. Absolutely awful customer service from both 3Shape and Carestream. I needed a scanner and had heard great things about it the Medit i500 at the Florida Academy of Coesmetic Dentistry so I got one. It works really well and Medit keeps adding new and useful features and their architecture is completely open. Two weeks ago, my i500 died so I contacted Cad-Ray surrport and I had a new unit in my office 24 hours later! That's absolutely unheard of in the industry!!! Both Cad-Ray and Medit have positioned themselves to be industry giant killers and they're doing it. The i500 is a phenomenal scanner at a phenomenal price point and service and guidance at Cad-Ray is just plain excellent.If you are thinking about getting a scanner, do it! Just contact Cad-Ray and go for it. You will only be happy about your purchase! Highly recommended!read less - 3/09/2021
AMISH DESAI
Awesome! Great support. If you are planning on getting a scanner, make sure you have Cad-Ray on your side ! - 4/20/2022
Maggie Sh
I’ve been using Medit 500 since spring of 2021 and really like it. The support system has been very good so far. I just called yesterday and spoke with Frank Deluca, he was very informative and helpful. - 12/07/2021
Miller Loriaux
Absolutely love dealing with this company. Purchased two intraoral scanners from them over the last 3 years and the support has been beyond exceptional. Frank patiently walked me through all the basics with many a phone call (to his personal cell p...read moreAbsolutely love dealing with this company. Purchased two intraoral scanners from them over the last 3 years and the support has been beyond exceptional. Frank patiently walked me through all the basics with many a phone call (to his personal cell phone, no less) on the first go round. Whenever we've even had a hint of technical difficulty there is ALWAYS a knowledgeable voice on the other end of the line. After 3 years of use a significant issue came up with the scanner and they went above and beyond to get it back up and running. Was so impressed (and I realized how dependent we've become on a scanner) that I purchased another one.Needed some assistance submitting a Valplast RPD design digitally this week. Damien worked me through it in literally 5 minutes and took the time to optimize my graphics card performance while he was there. Top shelf service.Certainly, the first place I go with any dental tech purchase.read less - 6/04/2022
Blake Holt
Best place to buy a medit i500 from. Great support and an even better community. - 6/16/2020
Scanning long span edentulous is a very likely culprit with rendering dimensionally accurate models because to the software and camera, the geometric shapes are too identical across the ridge.
The more we can disrupt the symmetry with large, short, non-reflective and asymmetric scanbodies, the more likely we are to keep the models accurate. This video presentation address some of those issues and how to overcome them.
In this video we demonstrate for new and potential users of digital dentistry a implant restoration where the dynamic bite is captured. We initially imaged the upper and lower jaws with 2 bites. Then we captured the dynamic bite and the returned for the jaw scan with the scanbody. There are many ways to approach this but this sequence we have found to be easiest for new users to digest.
The scanbody was captured after the bite because it usually is taller than the adjacent teeth. There is a chance you may injure the patient if you don’t follow the proper sequence
Here is why the Medit i700 is the best intra-oral scanner on the market if you do any kind of implant restorations. There are so many options and tools that are leap years ahead of other scanners and their software. Medit can automatically identify the scanbody for you so you don’t have to do cartwheels and gymnastics to pick up all of the scanbody. This is in part 1 of the video.
For advanced users, we are sick of dealing with scanbodies and checking to make sure they are seated all the way and not binding on the tissue or bone, so we developed this technique of just scanning the fixture itself. It is not ideal just yet, but it will be the future, as the inside of the fixture is too shiny. i just used some old cerec spray to mask the topography for this demonstration.
oh, and really, no one else can show you how to milk that medit like cad-ray.com can. we use it well beyond what it was intended for and frankly you are wasting your time and money with most others. contact Frank DeLuca, Frank Weinstein, Laura Geney, Nick Statly, Damien Bonner, Jonathan Acker in the US or Milos Gedosev, Mariangela Di Nato, Roddy MacLeod in Europe for more information
There is a lot of focus nowadays on the connection between the screw and the MUA and top clinicians are recognizing this to be the most vulnerable part of full arch prosthetics.
An issue to consider the space between the green and the blue arrows on the following photo and how some have designed solutions around the small area that is prone to chirping or breakage during milling or printing
“The powerball screw by Dr Jonathan Abenaim is one of a kind. Finally a screw designed to skip the tibase with the material in mind. It is rounded to provide gentle forces that are transferred to the body of the screw instead of the weak threads where the the screw is the weakest. It has the ability to be used in Zirkonia and pmma with no tibase. Its angle can be corrected up to 20 degrees. With our proprietary biaxial screw head the screw head is robust and cannot be stripped.”
here is a list of why the Medit Artificial Intelligent Implant Suprastructure Identification System is significantly more advantageous over all other cadcam systems.
It s technically a crown and bridge case and the implant location or timing does not matter
You can find margins outside the mouth! See the first video to appreciate the significance of this
You don’t have to deal with retraction or hemostatis at all
You don’t have to worry about sprue position. Many other systems force the placement of the sprue to a specific location often making the case more difficult to manage than necessary
you are not limited to just a few implant lines
you don’t have to worry about location of anti rotational notch
you can digitally alter the prep and get a virtual reduction coping in cad
Use any restorative block you want. There is no need to order special blocks with pre-fabricated access channels and keep a large inventory of many colors. Your regular block inventory will suffice. Just make sure the top of the tibase is wider than the diameter of the drill used to mill out the intaglio. Also, the CAM and the milling machine determine the exact product and different settings maybe utilized to give you relief off the walls. Some will even remove the antirotational notch because the adaptation is so tight, the restoration will not rotate due to the tall walls of the tibase
You can check the fit outside the mouth on the same tibase or a one you keep chairside for every case to let you know that if you are not seating, it is clearly a contact or contour issue as opposed to an intaglio issue.
I am not one to place much faith in published articles from academicians. I usually draw my information from trusted colleagues and also a very reliable source, Mr. Andrew Sedler, from Advanced Technology Centers in Burbank California. He is in charge of manufacturing thousands of full arch restorations for clinicians and many other labs that outsource their manufacturing.
One of the things I always get a kick out of is whenever they do purchase technology or implement a process, they always have to do it with redundancy. What that means is that their machines can never go down for whatever reason, so they always purchase printers and mills by multiple sets. Interestingly, I was witness to them incorporating printers into the lab about 6-7 years ago and now they have a large wing dedicated to printing with over 20 machines for many different purposes.
I trust his judgement and always follow his recommendation and tested methods. When he says “do not bypass verification jigs, no matter what scanner was used”, I don’t even question it. He sees all the cases many entities can’t manage and he can manufacture any screw, prosthetic, abutment, etc… with their high end milling machines. In fact, it was on his word alone we decided to distribute the ICam4d by imetric.
I thought it would be a good idea to revisit full arch implant restorations with him and see what the state of the industry is like today and what he would recommend for the end users and patients. A very good perspective for a clinician to keep is how a simple mistake or misunderstanding can wipe away all the profit margins for a lab and even for the clinician. A simple example is if you have to correct an angulation issue on an abutment which can dramatically impact the costs of the lab work.
Here is the Q/A session:
“Hi Andrew, I am writing an article on full arches and would appreciate some info”
what % of the full arches that docs order from you are zirconia on tibases only at implant sites?
what % are on titanium bars?
what % are hybrids with acrylic?
what % are MUA vs Implant level?
what is the most prescribed full arch prosthesis now compared to 5 -10 years ago?
what % are soft tissue level vs bone level / mua level?
what would you do for yourself?
which one has the most failure rate?
how often does zirc framework break?
how much damage do you think people do to zirconia frameworks while trying to mill it to sharp corners of tibases?
Answers:
MUA vs IMPLANT LEVEL : over 90% of upper arches will have MUA and 60 to 70 % of the lower arches will have MUA
BONE LEVEL vs TISSUE: majority of implants (90% and up) bone level that requires MUA .
The most failure rate in order is (all of these in respect to the material limitations ):
the traditional acrylic hybrid
composite hybrid next
zirconia monolithic
and the least breakage will be zirconia hybrid supported by metal frame
Zirconia failure is around 4 to 5 % (adding the internal lab remakes – i would say another 3 to 4 %)
The damage caused by adjusting the zirconia could be very considerable, especially around the access hole since those areas are thinner than the full teeth . For myself i would restore zirconia over metal frame if my choice is hybrid, while removable bar overdenture will be a more predictable and more hygienic choice .
If you place enough implants, you may find yourself in need of a prosthetic part that just isn’t manufactured by anyone. For example, you may have a hybrid case on Bicons and for some reason you wanted to restored them with Multi Unit Abutments (MUA) and photogrammetry, yet there are no parts manufactured for such an endeavor. The problem is complex because a manufacturer needs to mass produce these parts and get them past regulatory matters.
Some have found a simple solution, which is to have the parts custom made specifically for the implant. If they need the MUA part before the procedure, they just send a digital or physical model into a lab that can custom make the part. The lab itself needs a prescription form on the lab analog. Since it is custom made, you have direct input on how tall you want the height of the margin, how much you want to displace the tissue, how much would want the restorative head angled, etc..
Most people will order a variety of them to address any situation on the same model and keep it in stock. What’s important to realize is that from the restorative standpoint, all your CAD software needs to know is the location of your abutment margins. It doesn’t care where fixture is and how the timing is lined up in the arch form. As long as it knows where the margins are, you can proceed with the design of the prosthesis.
Contact Andrew Seddler to send a digital or physical model and an Rx to get your custom made MUA’s
Here are two very simple examples of clinical advantages of digital impressions over analog ones. You can edit or add to your models and you can work independent of time and sequence.
You can also know immediately if you have captured your margins correctly. Once you understand these concepts, there are dozens of ways you can apply these principles to make some of the most challenging clinical cases very easy to manage
distinct advantages of digital dentistry over analog dentistry
FIND OUT HOW RESTORING IMPLANTS CAN BE THE MOST PREDICTABLE PROCEDURE YOU CAN DO
For decades, placing and restoring implants was a very stressful and unpredictable procedure. Digital dentistry has reversed that trend, making it now the most predictable procedure you can perform. You can easily capture contacts, opposing dentition, and the location of the implant. More importantly, you can design the emergence profile to your liking.
SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO ADD A CONTACT TO A RESTORATION WITH AN OVEN
Emax restorations are milled in a pre-crystalized state (blue phase) as it is more gentle on the drills than the final crystallized form. A big advantage of emax lithium dissilicate material is that you can easily add contacts with addition powder in the same cycle as glazing. This reduces the stress of try-ins and allows you to recover without wasting precious time. Other materials on the other hand may require extensive oven times or a re-mill (or send the restoration back to the lab)
“Hi doc, I was not able to find this scan body in the automated system match. I tried to scan conventional but lab said it was not good. I am scanning strumann RC #3,4 implants. Using one scan body switching from one to another but I couldn’t get it right”
To date, the literature and research clearly points out that full arch scans with edentulous arches are prone to inaccuracies. That’s because we have never had a way to measure and verify models while scanning. There are two features unique to the Medit i500, namely the reliability map and the artificial intelligent implant suprastructure identification system. Individually, they do not provide much information with regards to accuracy, but if you understand how they work, you can utilize them to assess accuracy while you are scanning edentulous arches.
We proved the validity of this concept by utilizing these two features by incorporating a scan from the imetric Icam4D scanner and merging its data with the IOS to render a perfect match. Details are posted for our users in the Imaging Implants Section of our tutorial liabrary
Photogammetry has set the highest standard for full arch accuracy in digital dentistry for edentulous patients with multiple implant fixtures. An easy scan in under 15 seconds captures enough detail on scanbodies that help the software capture the location of the fixtures. Conversely, Intra-Oral Scanners (IOS) do not garner support for most of the literature that is currently published in dental journals. Scan paths can dictate the outcome of 3D model and determine how correctly it replicates the intra-oral condition. The same scan can render a variety of results and models based on the user and the direction the scans are taken. Simply stated, the user is control over the final product.
To use the ICam 4D scanner you must first calibrate the machine with a plate immediately prior to the intra-oral scan capture. There are specific reference points that the camera and software recognizes and after you capture about a dozen landmarks, you are ready for an intra-oral scan
After the camera is calibrated, the patient, or in this demonstration case, the model with Multi-Unit Abutment analogs is mounted with ICam Reference Bodies that are shaped like dominos. They can attach to the multiunit abutment or directly to the implant fixture (available soon in the USA).
The markers are captured by the device in the software with multiple identification marks, ideally 10 marks on each scan post. This data is then exported as an stl file that has all the locations of each cylinder preserved. This whole process just takes minutes. Most people just utilize this device for full arch impressions so they can bypass the verification jig for large cases. Here, we use it to assess the accuracy of the medit i500 ios to provide cross arch accuracy if doctors follow our protocols for imaging, which utilizes the reliability map as a guide for imaging. When then utilize the Artificial Intelligent Implant Suprastructure Identification Software to merge and evaluate the accuracy of the ios scan.
save the implant scanbody cyliners and their coordinates
There are a lot of ways one can introduce errors into a full arch scan with any ios, but the medit’s powerful features that include the reliability map and the AI tool separate it from all other scans that do not allow you to assess the accuracy of your scan while you are imaging. You can only do so with the fabrication of a verification jig
Dental implant surgery and restorations were the most risky procedures just 10 years ago. They were also the most profitable, but also carried the largest liability and the most significant surgical and restorative lab costs. A simple error introduced in the restorative process could easily eliminate the profit margin and a more significant mishap can create an undesirable outcome
We have seen dramatic changes in implant surgery where both the cost of the surgical stent and the fixture placement have reduced to the point where fully guided surgery is now the norm as they speed up the surgery and normalize the accuracy of placement across a broad range of practitioners with varying levels of experience. We are now seeing the same type of effect on the restorative side of the implant treatment, where digital dentistry is greatly reducing costs and errors.
With permission from blueskybio.com, we captured some key elements with analog impressions to highlight potential errors that can be introduced. The full video can be seen here:
The common sources of errors that someone can introduce are:
The inherent nature of impression material that can distort during the impression step
The angulation of the impression abutment may prevent it from seating all the way or may bind on the adjacent teeth making it difficult to capture an accurate impression
The size of the impression abutment can usually block access to the contours of the adjacent teeth where the pvs material does not capture the detail needed to generate good contacts and emergence profiles
Not securing the implant analog with the abutment in the impression material so that it does not distort or vibrate out of its position while pouring stone into the PVS material
With multiple implant, the problems can compound exponentially if the implants do not draw well together with complications ranging from locking the tray in the patient’s mouth accidentally or distorting the impression material enough when removing it where you decrease the accuracy. Some practitioners prefer to do this in multiple steps, correcting angulation and collisions with custom abutments and several impressions
Fortunately, in this impression of 3 implants that were placed with a guided, the impression abutments are parallel to each other but just a few degrees in either direction, you can have multiple collisions of the abutments with the adjacent teeth or in between the abutment themselves. What a scanbody does is it allows for the optical scan of a geometric shape that helps CAD software identify the exact location of an implant fixture, its timing, and its relationship to the arch form.
It has significant advantages as there is no distortion of the impression material. Moreover, you can capture all the detail of the adjacent teeth before you place the scanbody in the mouth. This dramatically reduces the errors and adjustments you will need to make during the seat appointment.
This video shows you the contour or the shape of a specific scanbdoy. There are many manufacturers that produce the scanbodies for a variety of fixtures with different geometries. Ideally, you use a titanium based one so that you can take an x-ray to make sure it is seated all the way. A frequent cause for error with digital impression is that you bind on tissue of bone which block you form seating all the way.
Once you have scanned the pertinent information, you can then take the digital models to CAD software where the location of the fixture is identified digitally and you can design the restoration of your choice. This can be titanium abutment or a tibase that retrofits ceramic material like emax or zirconia. The following video demonstrates how you identify the scanbody in exocad and proceed with a sample design.
Once the design is completed, you can outsource the fabrication of the abutment and/or the crown. There are many machines that you can use to fabricate the titanium abutment. Please note that the milling machines do not mill the connection. The connection to the implant comes pre-manufactured. The cylindrical block is milled to shape. The cad software also maintains the relationship of the abutment to the crown so that they retrofit to each other.
Now imagine if you had multiple implants that did not draw together? What’s great about digital dentistry and how we use the Medit i500 here is how we utilize a single scanbody to capture the location of 3 fixtures. One thing we emphasize at CAD-Ray is how digital impression allow you to create models over time and out of sequence. They are also editable and additive. In the subsequent video we demonstrate how you can capture segments at a time, which can greatly help when you have implant abutments colliding into each other.
You can place the scanbdoy in one location, scan it, digitally protect the area, remove the scanbody, place it into another location and image it at the new location, dramatically overcoming all the obstacles described above
Now for the greatest news and the largest advancement in digital dentistry in a decade! Medit i500 has launched the Artificial Intelligent Implant Identification System where the software automatically recognizes these scanbody and lets you skip dozens of steps to get to the immediate design steps of the restoration. The algorithm utilized to match the digital scanbody to the physical one is proprietary to Medit and is unparalleled in its accuracy. A lot of the guess work and inherent errors in the digital platforms are reduced with this software which is a contrasting as the difference between analog and digital impressions.
Using Medit’s Artificial Intelligent Implant Suprastructure Identification System to assess the accuracy of a cross arch digital impression! long title but it had to be to do it justice. For a primer, we highly recommend that you watch all of our videos on imaging fundamentals
here we put all the pieces of a puzzle together to answer how you can capture full arch impressions for implants accurately (or inaccurately). As the user, you are completely responsible for not introducing errors or capturing the data correctly
The Medit i500 has features that help you not only capture implant suprastructures, where you can bypass the scanbodies all together which impedes capturing the bite correctly for a lot of people, but you can identify their location and margins, even if they are hampered by bleeding. Most importantly you can use them as landmarks to accurately capture very accurate full arch impressions.
Medit’s reliability map, implant suprastructure identification system, and matching histogram colors can help you drastically reduce or eliminate steps and errors in full arch digital implantology
Using Medit’s Artificial Intelligent Implant Suprastructure Identification System to assess the accuracy of a cross arch digital impression! long title but it had to be to do it justice
here we put all the pieces of a puzzle together to answer how you can capture full arch impressions for implants accurately (or inaccurately). As the user, you are completely responsible for not introducing errors or capturing the data correctly
The Medit i500 has features that help you not only capture implant suprastructures, where you can bypass the scanbodies all together which impedes capturing the bite correctly for a lot of people, but you can identify their location and margins, even if they are hampered by bleeding. Most importantly you can use them as landmarks to accurately capture very accurate full arch impressions.
Medit’s reliability map, implant suprastructure identification system, and matching histogram colors can help you drastically reduce or eliminate steps and errors in full arch digital implantology
Posted by Armen Mirzayan on Wednesday, September 25, 2019
We are very pleased with millbox and the imes icore coritec one for a chairside milling solution. We’ve been testing it for a long time and its CAM (millbox) is very intuitive and the results are always predictable. It can mill titanium abutments, emax, and zirconia blocks.
The following videos illustrate how you can image a scanbody intra-orally and then design it in cad software. Here we used exocad to identify the biomax RP implant and designed both the custom titanium abutment and the suprastructure, both of which were milled with the CORiTEC ONE
There are so many implant and component libraries in cad/cam dentistry which can lead to a lot of confusion. What we highly recommend is that you visually compare the part numbers that you will be using with the part numbers displayed on the millbox software. One letter or number difference and the mistakes will have a profound impact on the bottom line of a dental practice
Please, take a seat, you should not be standing while you watch this.
Artificial intelligence by Medit i500 now identifies the location of your scanbody but it also automatically launches all that proper information into CAD software for instant abutment designs. Make sure to watch both videos. Enjoy.
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In the world of digital dental scanning, precision and accuracy are paramount. To shed light on the potential pitfalls and challenges faced by dental professionals, Dr. Armen Mirzayan of CAD-Ray...
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