I have had zoom training with Andy today. I can honestly say that he was the best. He was patient and very throughal. I learned a lot I would ask him again when I need support again Thanks Rodger - 3/15/2023
Faisal Mir
Exceptional customer service! - 4/11/2025
North Bakersfield Dental
Excellent customer service and product!! - 3/16/2022
Gwen Giannina
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
Blake Ferando
I purchased my medit in April of 2019 from Cad-Ray. The support offered is second to none, and the training videos are some of the best out there. Add to that a great support team that is fast to answer questions and issues, its hard to beat Cad-Ray. - 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
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
Gould Dentistry
A newcomer to scanning, I have been impressed with the ease of the process. The commitment shown by each CAD-Ray team member to successful customer training and their skill levelhave been extraordinary. Thank you Kaila, Frank and Andy!! - 5/15/2022
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
Suzanne Stock
Excellent experience, customer service has been stupendous! - 11/20/2023
Carter Weber
I had a great experience with CAD RAY. I was lucky enough to have Frank DeLuca come down to my office to demo the Medit I700. Needless to say, we were in love with the technology and the great hands on demo. CAD RAY overnighted me the scanner and we ...read moreI had a great experience with CAD RAY. I was lucky enough to have Frank DeLuca come down to my office to demo the Medit I700. Needless to say, we were in love with the technology and the great hands on demo. CAD RAY overnighted me the scanner and we were off to the races. Any time we have had a technical question, Frank has personal helped me or put me in touch with one of his colleagues if he wasn’t available. All around, it was as 5 star experience!read less - 12/16/2021
Scot Bruce
We found the digital training very informative - 8/20/2021
Mitchell Rubinstein
I purchased my medit i500 scanner about a year ago from CAD Ray, and I have been extremely happy with both the scanner and the service / support.
Armen and Frank consider your purchase to be the beginning of your relationship with them, not...read moreI purchased my medit i500 scanner about a year ago from CAD Ray, and I have been extremely happy with both the scanner and the service / support.
Armen and Frank consider your purchase to be the beginning of your relationship with them, not the end. They do their best to make sure you learn everything you need to know in order to get the best possible results .
They answer calls and messages promptly, and it never takes me very long to get my questions answered.
I am VERY glad I bought from them, and not from one of the "big box" Dental Mega retailers.read less - 10/09/2019
Purchased a Trios 5 and the Sprint Ray Printer/Ecosystem from Cad-Ray at the end of 2022. Frank Deluca, my CAD-Ray rep, was instrumental in helping me see the value in purchasing both technologies to expand on my digital dental office. He came ac...read morePurchased a Trios 5 and the Sprint Ray Printer/Ecosystem from Cad-Ray at the end of 2022. Frank Deluca, my CAD-Ray rep, was instrumental in helping me see the value in purchasing both technologies to expand on my digital dental office. He came across as being very sincere and professional throughout the entire process. After the purchase, he even made himself available to go above and beyond what a normal dental rep would do. For instance, when I had my Sprint Ray Ecosystem installed, he set aside time on a Friday afternoon to walk me through the steps to print my first 3D study models. I would say he is one of the best dental reps that I have come across. Definitely received a 5 star experience and service from Frank. He is definitely and asset to CAD-Ray.read less - 1/25/2023
David Paquette
Cad-Ray has been super-efficient and very easy to work with! Highly recommend them for Medit sales and support! - 11/09/2021
We purchased Medit i-500 with CAD ray last December and customer support is great.One of best thing for our practice is having intra oral scanner ,works great . Laura was very patient with our learning curve. - 12/10/2021
Dino Mantis
I purchased the Medit700 a couple of months ago. I have the Cerec Primescan and what a difference!!! The Medit is easy to use and efficient!!! They have a great support system> Laura Geney is amazing. She is almost like being on call anytime I have a...read moreI purchased the Medit700 a couple of months ago. I have the Cerec Primescan and what a difference!!! The Medit is easy to use and efficient!!! They have a great support system> Laura Geney is amazing. She is almost like being on call anytime I have a question. If she is not available (which was only once) the person that helped me logged in and took care of my problem!! I highly recommend this scanner!!!read less - 12/30/2021
Aram Grigoryan
I'm really grateful with the service CAD-Ray has provided! I'm also very happy with Laura's presentation with the Medit i700, and overall help in choosing the right scanner for my practice. I'm really happy with the scanner and the SprintRay Pro 95 P...read moreI'm really grateful with the service CAD-Ray has provided! I'm also very happy with Laura's presentation with the Medit i700, and overall help in choosing the right scanner for my practice. I'm really happy with the scanner and the SprintRay Pro 95 Printer as well. Thank you.read less - 8/31/2021
Last year when I started looking into the Medit i500 I had my front desk call 3 sellers to get preliminary information. She told me hands down call CAD-RAY and don’t bother with the others. Boy was she right! Frank got us going with all our hardware ...read moreLast year when I started looking into the Medit i500 I had my front desk call 3 sellers to get preliminary information. She told me hands down call CAD-RAY and don’t bother with the others. Boy was she right! Frank got us going with all our hardware needs and trained us until all our questions were answered. Then Jonathon and Armen jumped in at our 2 day live training in Baltimore. I still review my notes to implement all the great ideas. When I get myself in a jam time to time CAD-RAY responds immediately and fixes my problem. Best decision I have made in the practice in a long time - Thank you everyone at CAD-RAY!read less - 10/09/2019
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
Michael Conte
Needed help with scanner updates and Frank is the man! Once he was done the scanner was operating in hyper-drive!!thanks frankoffice of Glenmont Dental - 2/15/2022
larry bybee
We have been using an intra-oral scanner (not a medit) in our practice for 4 years and it was decided that we needed to purchase another scanner due to practice growth. After a thorough review we decided on the Medit i700. Due to the great team at Me...read moreWe have been using an intra-oral scanner (not a medit) in our practice for 4 years and it was decided that we needed to purchase another scanner due to practice growth. After a thorough review we decided on the Medit i700. Due to the great team at Medit I have learned more about scanning 1 week than i received from the other company in 4 years. i700 great price, great scanner and amazing customer service.read less - 12/23/2021
Yoav Taub
I purchased my Medit from Cad-Ray just prior to Covid and they have been fantastic in getting me the proper training on the machine, both through there 2 day class as well as the many video's they post on the website. I recently purchased some acce...read moreI purchased my Medit from Cad-Ray just prior to Covid and they have been fantastic in getting me the proper training on the machine, both through there 2 day class as well as the many video's they post on the website. I recently purchased some accessories for a different office and they accidently sent it somewhere else. After a quick email they had my stuff at my door within 24 hrs and they threw in a box of tips which I was not expecting (around $300). It is a pleasure to deal with them!read less - 7/19/2021
Maureen Copeland
Our office has been really happy with the i700 scanner so far. It was really easy to set up and use after watching only, 1-2 of the videos Cad-ray has on the website. Training with Andy was a breeze! Looking forward to taking level 2 training soon. - 1/20/2022
Great product and company. all the help and support you need on their website and Facebook group. recommended them to many of my colleagues and bragged to other reps about how good my deal was compared to what they were offering. - 6/16/2020
jeremiah choi
Never had customer care like Cad-Ray, you can't go wrong purchasing through them. Trios is a great scanner. All the reps at Cad-Ray are very knowledgeable and helpful and will make sure you are up and running smoothly. Above and beyond customer serv...read moreNever had customer care like Cad-Ray, you can't go wrong purchasing through them. Trios is a great scanner. All the reps at Cad-Ray are very knowledgeable and helpful and will make sure you are up and running smoothly. Above and beyond customer service.read less - 8/27/2022
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
Chase Funk
This has been awesome, to be honest I have know idea how to use it but our team members have picked it up so easy!! - 6/16/2020
Lance Timmerman
Implant Planning Services Review I Am VERY experienced with "another system" but thought I would give CAD-Ray a try. At at LEAST 1/3 the fee, why not?
VERY happy. Fit GREAT, surgery was uneventful (the best kind) and I am a believer! This is a great company and great PEOPLE to...read moreI Am VERY experienced with "another system" but thought I would give CAD-Ray a try. At at LEAST 1/3 the fee, why not?
VERY happy. Fit GREAT, surgery was uneventful (the best kind) and I am a believer! This is a great company and great PEOPLE too! 5 stars aren't enough. Just like the Burj Al Arab, this is 7 star!read less - 3/03/2015
Preston Poole
Great company with even better customer service. Premier dental business with digital dentistry and scanners! - 11/03/2022
John Allen
fantastic support, I always ask random, specific to me, could be found on a training video, questions and they always quickly tell me how to fix my problem. - 6/16/2020
Jonathan Mason
I bought a Medit 3 years ago and have had amazing success with both the scanner and the support from Cad-Ray. My scanner recently broke and They were on the phone with my assistant trying to fix the problem, and when it was unfixable, they overnight...read moreI bought a Medit 3 years ago and have had amazing success with both the scanner and the support from Cad-Ray. My scanner recently broke and They were on the phone with my assistant trying to fix the problem, and when it was unfixable, they overnighted a new scanner and helped us set it up. Medit is now available through many dealers, but I would only buy next one from Cad-Ray.read less - 11/03/2022
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
Rich Hirschinger
I had an issue that was due to the Medit settings. Damien logged on remotely to my laptop, and resolved the issue in a couple of minutes. Fantastic service. Thank you. - 8/27/2021
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
Amber Thomas
Andy was very patient and informative during our Medit Training. He made sure that we understood exactly what we needed to know in order to be successful during scans. Since our training we've moved full steam ahead in completing scans for lab fabric...read moreAndy was very patient and informative during our Medit Training. He made sure that we understood exactly what we needed to know in order to be successful during scans. Since our training we've moved full steam ahead in completing scans for lab fabrications of crowns, bridges, and Invisalign. Thanks so much!!!read less - 4/05/2022
Cadray is excellent and their medit scanner is amazing! - 6/16/2020
Lauren Schulte
Frank and the CAD-Ray team are fantastic! They go above and beyond to help their doctors be successful. The CAD-Ray team doesn't just sell you a product and leave you high and dry. Frank is always ready to answer questions and offer support when need...read moreFrank and the CAD-Ray team are fantastic! They go above and beyond to help their doctors be successful. The CAD-Ray team doesn't just sell you a product and leave you high and dry. Frank is always ready to answer questions and offer support when needed. I highly recommend!read less - 1/24/2023
Daniel Thrall
I have owned this scanner for six months now. I have experience with other scanners including Trios and Carestream. The Medit scanner can stand with the big names. The scanned images are good. The ease of communication through the software with the l...read moreI have owned this scanner for six months now. I have experience with other scanners including Trios and Carestream. The Medit scanner can stand with the big names. The scanned images are good. The ease of communication through the software with the lab is probably my favorite part. Another thing I like is that the company is very open to improvements and listens to what its customers are wanting.
Cad Ray has a great team working alongside this product and continually updates all of the users on new features or new ways to use existing features. They are extremely responsive to questions and provide fast and competent support to the product that they sell.
I would recommend both the scanner and the company to anyone looking to get into the digital scanning world.read less - 10/09/2019
Andy was amazing with explaining everything needed to be successful with the medit i700 and encouraged me to give CADRAY a call if I have any questions in the future. I have some colleagues that have regarded CADRAY as the gold stand...read moreAmazing team!
Andy was amazing with explaining everything needed to be successful with the medit i700 and encouraged me to give CADRAY a call if I have any questions in the future. I have some colleagues that have regarded CADRAY as the gold standard for service and I can now say that I completely agree. Thank you!read less - 12/27/2021
When I decided to purchase a digital scanner I decided on user experience. They have provided the best experience I could have asked for, from online support, Facebook support, and in person courses. There is no better team to buy Medit from period...read moreWhen I decided to purchase a digital scanner I decided on user experience. They have provided the best experience I could have asked for, from online support, Facebook support, and in person courses. There is no better team to buy Medit from period. Do yourself a favor and buy from them if you are in the market for an intraoral scanner.read less - 6/16/2020
lizette aguero
Highly recommended. Ericka help me through all the process when we were having some trouble with our scanner. The help was super fast and secure. She answered all our questions and made sure our scanner were working perfectly. - 4/29/2025
Mehryar Ebrahimi
Great costumer service. I needed a part for my i700 and they were able to ship overnight. No down time. - 5/06/2022
Andy M
It has been great to work with Laura and Heather. The purchase, financing, shipping, and training process has been smooth. The training was very comprehensive and not rushed at all. I love my Medit i-600 scanner, and I recommend CAD-RAY 100%! - 5/22/2024
Evan Sachs
Great staff and support when needed! There is a bit of a learning curve like with any new tech, but I highly recommend the Medit i500 and the Cad-Ray staff is great. Special thanks to Laura and Jeff for helping out! You guys rock. Great company and ...read moreGreat staff and support when needed! There is a bit of a learning curve like with any new tech, but I highly recommend the Medit i500 and the Cad-Ray staff is great. Special thanks to Laura and Jeff for helping out! You guys rock. Great company and product!read less - 11/11/2020
Ramin Goshtasbi
Great service even if you own a Primescan. Company is built on customer service. Thanks for the help guys…. - 1/05/2022
Hieu Pham
Been super happy with service from this company. Very responsive, really passionate about their work. - 7/16/2020
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
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 - 10/03/2024
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
This recent publication in the Journal or the American Heart Association details the relationship between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease. It is a comprehensive study evaluating the success rate of possible treatment modalities, including oral appliance therapy.
A recent study published in the Journal of Advanced Prosthodotics compared many Intra-oral scanners and used the Medit desktop scanner as the reference frame and benchmark for accuracy. Unfortunately the Medit Intra-Oral Scanner was not commercially available at the time of the study.
Our position at CAD-Ray is that any scanner can be accurate and inaccurate based on how it is utilized. Furthermore, once you capture accurate data, by the time you design a restoration and send it to production, the printing or milling machine has no idea where the scan came from and generally can produce restorations to the level of accuracy the resolution the scanners provide.
Keep in mind, there are dozens of ways an operator can introduce errors in imaging.
Download the OBJ files and import them into smile design software and do a virtual wax up for a real case
This patient has had crown lengthening procedure performed on all the teeth in her smile line, greatly increased the tooth structure visible in this video. Her chief complaint was a gummy smile and now she is ready to “fill in the buccal corridor”
Here are fundamental principles every dentist should understand about intra-oral scanners, how we can introduce errors, how to manage them, follow proper scan strategies, maintain accuracy across the arch and lots of other nuggets
Every ios hates moving parts (tongue and cheek) Every ios hates dark areas like the oropharynx, black triangles, etc… Every ios hates liquids (blood on the margins) Every ios can “get off track” and form double images Every ios struggles with highly reflective surfaces like emax, zirconia, and shinny metal.
The principles shown in the video address every one of these factors and how you can control them and get accurate arch scans in just a minute with the medit i500
I have tried virtually every ios out there and they all struggle with my mouth full of emax. the focal length of the medit from -1.5 mm to 17 mm is the largest variation on the market, and the way the medit handles highly reflective surfaces also outperforms every other ios.
In January, it will be in turbo boost mode when new software is released.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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