Why I Use...Trios

Nearly a decade ago, I discovered the difference a scanner would make in my workflow, and it was purely by accident. At the time, I was already interested in scanning, and the manufacturer of a new CT machine I had just purchased threw in an older model scanner as part of the deal. I didn’t find it to be the greatest scanner, but I was hooked on the technology. In fact, I wholly embraced it and decided to invest in the best.

So, I began by talking with colleagues. I did the research and I searched the universe for every model out there. My research clearly showed that 3Shape TRIOS was the leader in this type of technology. Everybody else was simply playing catch up. So, I bought a TRIOS scanner.

An Entire Restorative Workflow

Today, I use my TRIOS for just about every restorative procedure we do—everything from case planning for implants, crown and bridge, implant crowns, onlays, bleaching trays, night guards, and orthodontics. We’ve even used the TRIOS for a space maintainer on a pediatric patient. I can use it for anything, on everybody!

For me, it’s all about the time savings and accuracy. First, with traditional impressions, you’ve got one chance to get it right. The smallest amount of bleeding, saliva, or movement can ruin it and you’ve got to start all over. With digital impressions, if there’s an area on your impression that you don’t like, you just wipe it away and rescan. You can continually modify your scan until you like what you see.

Second, the accuracy is second to none. Sometimes, with traditional impressions, we don’t know right away if there’s a problem. Then, we send it to a lab and the lab pours it into stone, and it creates even more inaccuracies due to expansion.

With digital scanning, there’s none of that. It’s highly precise and there’s zero distortion. It’s a seamless process with the labs, too. Plus, I’m not buying impression material anymore, so that’s a big cost savings.

Seeing That 'Wow' Factor

For patients, well, let’s just say no one enjoys traditional impressions, so it’s a definite boost to patient comfort. But I also believe that any time we take a leap into a technology that makes everyone’s life easier, patients definitely notice.

There’s a "wow" factor to using the TRIOS. I constantly get asked, “What IS that?” and patients are always amazed by the technology. And certainly, I’ve found that patients want to go to a clinician who is working with leading-edge technology and always on the lookout for ways to be faster, better, and more accurate.