Helios 500 Review – One of the Most Affordable Intraoral Scanners

The Helios 500 by Eighteeth represents an interesting shift in the intraoral scanner market. Entering at a price point that would have been considered impossible just a few years ago. At an RRP of around $5,000 USD (if not lower in some markets), it's not just another economic scanner, it's actively redefining what "affordable" means in digital dentistry. 

This dramatic price reduction signals a shift in the democratization of digital dentistry. When I started reviewing intraoral scanners, the entry point was firmly set around $25,000 USD or more - a substantial investment that kept many practices, particularly in emerging markets or smaller clinics, firmly in the analog world. 

My experience in reviewing digital dental tech for close to a decade has taught me to be skeptical. The idea of a $5,000 scanner would have seemed not just improbable 5 years ago, but almost suspicious. Too often, manufacturers achieved these price points in the past by compromising on fundamentals like performance, reliability, or support infrastructure. 

However, the dental market's digital evolution demands we look at the Helios 500 with fresh eyes. There's an undeniable and growing demand for affordable digital impression capabilities. This is particularly true in emerging markets, where the digital transformation of dentistry has been hampered not by lack of interest, but by the significant financial barriers to entry. The potential impact of truly affordable digital scanning technology in these markets cannot be overstated.

This brings us to the central question that will guide our review: Does the Helios 500 achieve the delicate balance between affordability and clinical viability?

In this review, we'll examine what you actually get for this investment, and perhaps more importantly, what you give up. We'll explore every aspect of the scanner's performance - from its scanning capabilities to its software ecosystem, from its build quality to its accuracy in real clinical situations. Our goal is to determine whether the Helios 500 can serve as a legitimate entry point into digital dentistry.

Note - this is an independent, unsponsored review of the Helios 500 intraoral scanner. We do not sell Heilos 500 scanners and our evaluation is based on standardized testing protocols and real clinical use. All comparisons with other scanners are based on devices we own and actively use in our practice.

Enjoy the review

Check out our full Unboxing video Helios 500:

Overview and company background

Founded in 2008 in Changzhou, China, Eighteeth has established itself as a manufacturer of economic dental equipment, particularly known for their (quite good) endodontic motors and apex locators. Over the past 15 years, they've built a global presence across 100+ countries by offering reliable alternatives to premium brands at budget-friendly price points.

The Helios 500 marks Eighteeth's official venture into digital dentistry, though it's not their first experience with scanners. The company previously distributed the Helios 600, a white-labeled Alliedstar scanner, but this was discontinued. They then focussed on developing their own technology after aquiring the company Zhean. 

Eighteeth's market strategy stands in contrast to other manufacturers in the digital dentistry space. While companies like 3Shape entered the market with premium ambitions before expanding downmarket, Eighteeth has taken the opposite approach. They've identified and deliberately targeted an underserved segment of the market - practitioners who find even "entry-level" scanners at $10,000-15,000 USD prohibitively expensive.

This strategy reflects an understanding of global market dynamics. While established manufacturers compete for premium and mid-range segments, Eighteeth recognized that a significant portion of the global dental market remains digitally underserved, particularly in developing regions. 

The result is a product that challenges conventional assumptions about the minimum cost of entry into digital dentistry, potentially opening the door for practices previously priced out of the digital workflow.

The Helios 500 delivers competent scanning performance, handling routine clinical tasks effectively. Most notably, the scanner achieves scanning speeds comparable to some premium units, completing full arch scans in around 40 seconds. Here is another fast intraoral scanner on the market and proof that fast scanning speeds is becoming a market norm.

The scanner's AI capabilities are particularly impressive, especially in managing soft tissue interference. The software efficiently filters out lips, cheeks, and tongue during scanning, maintaining quality data capture even with suboptimal retraction. This AI functionality represents the scanner's most notable feature, demonstrating excellent artifact filtering.

While occasional artifacts may appear as floating islands in scans, these are easily corrected with a quick rescan of the affected area. The level of soft-tissue filtering available on this entry-level product is remarkable and represents significant value at its price point.

To make things simple for new users, there are some basic on screen tips as well to help you scan.

The Helios 500 performs well in all common clinical scenarios, crown and bridge, quadrant dentistry, implant scan body scans etc, including capturing deep margins, effectively handling reflective metal surfaces, and maintaining reliable accuracy during our testing. It even did a OK job with edentulous scanning which is a common issue for many scanners. This does seem to be a capable scanner and can be used for day to day tasks.

Bite registration is efficient and the software seems capable of bringing together two arches easily. Software functionality allows you to take multiple bite registrations if required which is nice. One aspect that I did notice is that the refinement process occasionally introduces inaccuracies in bite alignment. This is an area where the scanner could benefit from improvement.

The scanner's economic positioning becomes most apparent in the texture quality of the scans. The captured textures display noticeably lower resolution compared to premium systems like Medit and TRIOS, particularly when examining fine details. This becomes increasingly clear when you zoom in. Everything looks very smooth.

The interesting thing is when I compare the scans of the Helios 500 to other intraoral scanners, it seems to be accurate for basic indications like crown and bridge work but there are deviations for more complex procedures like full arch implants.

The software package includes a few tools for clinical analysis, offering standard features like margin line placement, occlusal analysis, and undercut detection. While these tools work, the UI and UX lack the sophistication of some premium IOS devices. Overall, they provide adequate functionality for routine clinical work.

What's particularly noteworthy is the scanner's value proposition - and this is where it gets the most points as an overall package. While it doesn't match the comprehensive software of premium IOS, it delivers essential scanning functionality at an unprecedented price point.

The Helios 500 weighs 280 grams which makes it middle of the pack in terms of scanner weight. Lighter than the TRIOS 5 (375g) but heavier than the Medit i900 (245g) and Shining 3D Elite (124g). It is crazy to think that 280 grams is mid-tier now as this would have been considered very lightweight a few years ago. How far the intraoral scanner market has changed.

Overall, the scanner is a comfortable weight for scanning and feels balanced. The scanner dimensions are 281 x 46 x 41mm, making it similar in size to most intraoral scanners on the market.

Helios 500 is seventh from the left

The design of the scanner is simple and the build is basic. You get two buttons - one for starting and stopping scanning and another to switch between upper, lower and bite modes.

There's no power button on the scanner, it just turns on as soon as you plug it in which is actually convenient. One thing that impressed me was the anti-fogging - it works straight away with basically no warm-up time needed, which is something even some expensive scanners struggle with.

The build quality is economic. It's an all plastic construction without any special texturing or grip materials that you find on premium scanners. Although basic, it is tidy. The joints all fit well. The colours don't look super industrial (for example like the AS100) and it does seem like thought and effort were put in to make it look presentable.

The package includes 4 scanning tips - 3 regular size and 1 smaller one. All scanning tips can be autoclavable up to 60 cycles. The tips click in and out easily and stay secure during use.

Connectivity is via a single, non-detachable USB 3.0 cable from the scanner's base. User feedback is minimal - a single blue LED indicator displays the current scanning mode (upper/lower/bite).

Despite its simple construction and feature set, the hardware delivers decent performance in daily clinical use. The build quality is solid enough for regular use, and the essential elements - from the scanning tips to the anti-fogging system function reliably.

Helios 500 is Calibration-Free

The Helios 500 is calibration-free - something we're seeing more often in new scanners.

You can start scanning right out of the box and don't need to worry about regular calibration routines that were common with older systems. It's a feature shared with premium scanners like TRIOS 5, making daily use more straightforward.

While convenient, the calibration-free design does raise some questions about long-term accuracy verification. Without periodic calibration checks, it's harder to confirm if the scanner maintains its accuracy over time. This isn't unique to the Helios 500 - it's something we think about with all calibration-free scanners, including premium ones.

Eighteeth says they made this choice to simplify the user experience and reduce complexity in the system. They're confident in the scanner's ability to maintain accuracy without calibration. The inclusion of calibration-free technology at this price point is notable. It means one less thing to worry about - you just plug in and start scanning. There's no waiting for calibration routines or dealing with calibration tools that can get lost or damaged.

Helios 500 Accuracy

The Helios 500's accuracy shines in routine dental work but shows some limitations in more complex cases. During our long testing period, we put it through scans across various clinical scenarios to understand its real-world performance.

For everyday restorative work - single crowns, inlays, onlays, and bridges - the scanner performs well. We tested over 50 cases, and the restorations consistently showed results similar to other premium scanners. Quadrant scans are particularly impressive for the price, with speed of the device.

We did notice an interesting software quirk with bite registration. While the initial bite scan appears accurate on screen, we sometimes observed shifts in the bite relationship during the refinement stage aka after post-processing. This seems to be a software optimization issue rather than a scanning accuracy problem - the bite looks fine during scanning but can shift during the final processing stage especially if multiple bite scans were taken. This is something that needs improvement and for now, it's worth checking the processed bite carefully before finalizing cases. 

The scanner's biggest challenges emerge in full-arch implant applications. When comparing full-arch scans against all other scanners at iDD (over 20), we observed cumulative distortion that becomes more pronounced across longer scanning distances.

In our comparison tests using a CMM, discrepancies of up to 200 microns were noted in full-arch implant cases. Single-unit or implant bridge scans consistently showed accuracy within 50 microns, while quadrant scans maintained good accuracy up to 3-4 units. However, full-arch scans showed noticeable cumulative distortion, especially in the posterior regions. Implant scan bodies demonstrated increasing position discrepancies in full-arch cases, making this scanner likely less suitable for complex implant work but seems to be fine for single implants or bridges.

Our testing suggests the Helios 500 is best suited for practices focusing on tooth-bourne restorations and basic implant work. For its intended use in routine restorative work, the accuracy proves adequate for predictable clinical results.

The Helios 500 operates through two distinct software applications: "Helios Center" for patient and case management and "Helios" for the actual scanning process. Both programs feature straightforward interfaces that, while visually basic, prove functional and easy to navigate.

Helios Center handles patient management with a no-frills approach. The interface looks has simple icons and UI elements, but patient registration, case creation, and scan history management are all straightforward.

This is a big improvement over the previous Helios 600 scanner which lacked even patient management features.

You can search for patients, create new cases, and access previous scans (within 360 days, after which they are cleaned up). The entire patient management aspect of the software is easy to navigate.

The lab prescription form is notably basic. You add a patient name, pick the tooth and then choose an indication. It includes all fundamental information fields but lacks some material option choices and also does not include complex workflows like denture workflows. For basic dentistry it does the job.

Once you click scan, it starts the main scanning software, called Helios, takes a similar approach to its interface design. The UI again is basic with simple icons and color scheme.

The layout is logical and easy to follow. The workflow is intuitive and linear like all other scanners - you move through case setup, preparation scan, opposing scan, and bite registration in a clear sequence. Essential tools for scan editing, artifact removal, and basic occlusal analysis are readily available and work well.

Helios scan interface

Different texture modes

The scanning interface includes tools for margin marking, undercut analysis, and taking measurements. Export options cover all the file types you need. The software exports STL files and OBJ + PLY for color scans. The system also includes direct lab upload capabilities through a cloud interface. Most users will likely prefer local file export, which is the easiest method but it is nice to see a cloud feature in an entry-level scanner.

Helios 500 Apps

What's surprising in the Helios software is the inclusion of additional applications, that you might not expect at this price point.

There is a model builder, which while basic, provides the necessary functions for creating printable models with simple toggles for base height and other parameters. It lacks advanced features seen in the likes of Medit Model Builder or the totally AI driven 3Shape model builder, but it does handle quick model creation effectively and offers decent AI segmentation. 

As you can see in the photos below, the UI is simple and to the point. 

There is also an orthodontic simulator which at this price point is another unexpected inclusion. While the texture rendering of teeth and gums looks artificial and cartoonish, the basic simulation capabilities work OK for straightforward cases. Tooth segmentation is good, and while it won't replace premium ortho planning software, it's not bad for basic consultations and patient communication. I just wish the textures were nicer to show patients, this is a gripe I have with 90% of all scanner orthodontic simulators. iTero seems to do it the best still even in 2025.

Another cool feature is the AI diagnostic report which reflects a current market trend that is happening. How this works is that after taking a scan, AI will analyze the scans and then give you a patient report. 

This app is nice to see in an entry-level product but it needs refinement. During my testing, it made some funny suggestions (including recommending implants for an otherwise healthy dentition), but the ability to modify these automatic diagnoses makes it a useful starting point for treatment planning discussions. The feature shows promise and could become more valuable with future updates.

Overall, while both software components have a distinctly entry-level appearance with their basic UI elements and simple graphics, they succeed in providing a clear, accessible path into digital dentistry. The inclusion of additional features like the model builder, ortho simulator, and AI diagnostics - even in their basic forms - shows commendable effort to provide value beyond just scanning capabilities.

For practices focused on fundamental digital impression taking with occasional needs for basic additional features, this software package offers more than expected at its price point, even if the visual presentation remains humble.  While it may not satisfy users needing comprehensive digital workflows, it provides a solid foundation that covers more ground than one might expect.

At a price of around $5,000 USD, the Helios 500 demonstrates just how far the intraoral scanner market has changed. The rapidly evolving market and increasing competition continue to drive prices down, making digital dentistry more accessible than ever.

It's amazing to think that digital dentistry has reached a point where decent scanning is available at this price point - something that would have seemed impossible just 5 years ago.

To put this pricing in perspective: TRIOS 5 costs $26,000, Medit i900 is $19,000, and even the entry-level Medit i600 sits at $10,500. While we're seeing a trend toward sub-$10,000 scanners, most Chinese manufacturers still price their units between $10,000-15,000 outside of China. The only scanner that comes close to this price is Fussen, Runyes and Launca.

The ongoing costs of the Helios 500 are also minimal. The package includes four scanning tips, and replacement tips cost around $50 USD each. With careful handling, the initial tips should last several months of regular use before needing replacement.

On top of this, there are no mandatory software fees, no subscriptions, and no cloud storage costs to factor into your budget. This is particularly noteworthy as cloud storage fees are becoming more common in the scanner market.

The only additional cost to consider is a suitable computer system. While the processing requirements aren't particularly demanding compared to some other scanners, you'll still need a decent laptop or desktop to run the software smoothly. 

For practices looking to enter digital dentistry, this pricing model is compelling. The low initial investment combined with minimal ongoing costs makes it particularly attractive for clinics in emerging markets or those just starting their digital journey. 

Conclusion

The Helios 500 represents a significant breakthrough in digital dentistry, earning its recognition as "Best Entry-Level Scanner" in the 2024 iDD Scanner awards. At just $5,000 USD, it brings digital impression technology within reach for practices previously priced out of the market.

In everyday clinical use, the scanner demonstrates good capabilities. Its scanning speed competes with premium models, while the AI-assisted scanning effectively manages soft tissue interference. The instant anti-fogging feature requires no warm-up time, making it truly plug-and-play.

Eighteeth's approach to feature inclusion deserves recognition. Beyond basic scanning, the software package includes a model builder, orthodontic simulator, and AI-driven diagnostics. While these tools are very basic, their inclusion at this price point shows a commitment to value rather than simply targeting affordability.

There are limitations worth noting. The scan textures don't match the detail and resolution of premium scanners, and the full-arch implant accuracy has constraints. The software interface is basic, bite registration needs improvement during post-processing when multiple bites are taken, and for complex cases this would not be my go to. However, the Helios 500 demonstrates that reliable digital impression technology for routine dentsitry may no longer require a premium investment. For practices focusing on basic restorative procedures or those entering digital dentistry, it delivers exceptional value. This explains why it is so popular in emerging markets. 

The Helios 500 isn't just another entry level scanner - it's a company making digital dentistry more accessible. While not without limitations, it performs well for its price, enabling practices worldwide to embrace digital workflows.

Evaluation Ratings