The intraoral scanner offers precision to help practitioners create restorations in single appointments
Carestream Dental’s CS 3500 intraoral scanner, of its CS Solutions CAD/CAM portfolio, is available for sale. The CS 3500 is a portable, powder-free, 2D and 3D color intraoral scanner that provides practitioners with the information they need to create perfectly fitting fixed restorations.
With the CS 3500, dental professionals can quickly and efficiently acquire 2D and 3D images of patients’ teeth for restorative procedures. These colour images help dental professionals distinguish tooth structures and existing restorations from gingival tissue. The true color 2D scans can be saved as JPEG images to improve communication between the practitioner and the lab, and also make colour matching of restorations easier. 3D images are displayed at a high resolution of 1024 x 768; with this level of detail, clinicians can easily identify critical anatomical features including margin lines, undercuts and contact points.
The scanner offers high-angulation scanning of up to 45 degrees, making it easier to move the scanner head within patients’ mouths. The CS 3500 scans to a depth ranging from -2 to +13 mm with an average precision of 30 µm. The maneuverability of the scanner is further complemented by its design. The CS 3500 offers a slim scanner head that features two different tip sizes, one that fits most adults and one for children and adults with smaller mouths. These tips are also autoclavable.
The CS 3500 also has a built-in heater that prevents the mirror from fogging during digital impression acquisitions, reducing the amount of time required for a single scan. The scanner does not require practitioners to apply reflective powder on patients’ teeth prior to scanning, which further streamlines the process and makes it more pleasant for patients. The CS 3500 also features a light guidance system that simplifies the scanning process for dental professionals. This system guides practitioners through the image acquisition process thereby minimising the need to watch a screen or monitor while scanning, so they can look at patients’ mouths directly. This ultimately ensures images are accurately taken to create 3D models for patients’ restorations.
In addition to its lightweight design (295 grams), the CS 3500 can be shared between operatories because there is no heavy trolley to push around. Additionally, the intraoral scanner connects via USB 2.0 cable to a PC workstation or laptop.
“It has been quite an experience working with CS 3500 in my dental practice,” Dr Shirish Kulkarni, Mumbai, the first CS 3500 user in India, said. “It not only offers ease of use owing to its design but also provides clear, accurate 3D images. With little practice, I could complete the scans within minutes. The unique guidance light system helped in letting me focus on my preps intraorally rather than on the screen of the computer. I was happy to acquire this tool for my practice; I am now hopeful for enhanced efficiency, workflow and accuracy. I am quite satisfied with the trials and am hopeful of doing a lot of work ahead.”
“The CS 3500 is able to work with other open system computer aided design (CAD) software,” Pinkesh Garg, general manager, Greater Asia Region, Carestream Dental, said. “Compatible CAD software products include Dental Wings, 3Shape and exocad. If practices do not wish to design or mill restorations in house, they can send data from the CS 3500 to a lab.”
While the CS 3500 can work as a standalone solution, it can also be used as part of the company’s integrated CS Solutions CAD/CAM restoration portfolio. Along with the CS 3500, CS Solutions includes CS Restore design software, the CS 3000 milling machine that can help practitioners go from scanning an impression to designing and milling a restoration in a single appointment.
Orthodontists can also take advantage of the CS 3500; the scanner is part of a new CS Solutions for Orthodontists workflow. Users have the option to create digital impressions with either the intraoral scanner or one of Carestream Dental’s cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging systems for use with new CS Model software. The CS 3500 and CS Model are currently available for integration.
Starting in October 2014, the workflow will also include several CBCT imaging systems, such as the CS 9300 and CS 9000 3D and CS 8100 3D extraoral imaging systems, which can be used to scan existing stone models or patients’ impressions to create digital models.
EH News Bureau
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