The clinical win from an IOS is real, but the practice-efficiency win is where it pays for itself.
Patient side
No tray, no gag, no 3-minute set. Practices report higher case-acceptance on same-visit previews — patients say yes when they see the plan on screen.
Practice side
- Cut impression remakes: digital retries cost seconds, not a new appointment.
- Skip stone model storage — a 5-year archive of 1,000 models is ~6 m² of shelf.
- Design while the patient is still in the chair for simple cases.
Caveat
Efficiency only materialises if you export open files and integrate design software — a closed ecosystem adds friction that eats the gain.
See how the Scanning Series streams to your CAD software.
What the clock shows
Clinics report a 40–60% drop in impression appointment time after switching to intraoral scanning, and a sharp fall in retakes — no more rubber-base redos. Patients cite no gag reflex and the ability to watch the scan on screen.
| Metric | Conventional | Intraoral |
|---|---|---|
| Single-crown impression | 8–12 min | 3–5 min |
| Retake rate | 5–10% | 1–3% |
Efficiency beyond the chair
Digital files route straight from the scanner to the mill; no stone models to store, no courier. A one-drawer model closet becomes a terabyte.