The intraoral scanner market is more competitive than it's ever been, and a new player has just entered the arena.
The VivaScan is Ivoclar Vivadent's very first intraoral scanner.
The VivaScan is a standalone IOS that's is said to be easily integrated into your clinical workflow. It's a fairly standard scanner, with plug and play functionality, a lightweight ergonomic design, two tip sizes and an integrated HD camera.
Note: Our friend Dr Antonino Cacioppo published this on Facebook and allowed us to repost it on our blog.
About the Author
Dr Antonino Cacioppo
Dr Antonino is a private practitioner in Palermo (Italy) using digital dentistry and in particular with 2D and 3D dental radio diagnostics, in office CAD-CAM systems, 3D printing, digital prostheses and guided implantology.
He is also the author of 17 international publications, co-author and contributor to specialized books, speaker at numerous national and international conferences, and a KOL for multiple companies in the sector (FormLabs, Zeiss, Teethan, DentsplySirona, Oxy Implant, Faro, Medit).
So, safe to say he knows what he's talking about!
We hope you enjoy the overview, if you'd like to see all the latest intraoral scanner reviews click here!
Background on Ivoclar
Ivoclar is a global leader in innovative materials and processes for dental technology and dentistry. The company is family-owned since it was founded in 1923. The headquarters of Ivoclar are located in Liechtenstein, and the company has over 3,500 employees worldwide.
Ivoclar offers a wide range of products and services for the dental industry, including dental ceramics, digital dentistry solutions, implants, and orthodontic appliances. The company is committed to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction, and is continuously developing new products and technologies to meet the changing needs of the dental market.
Ivoclar has a global presence, with subsidiaries and distribution partners in over 130 countries. The company has a strong focus on research and development, frequently collaborating with major universities and dental experts around the world.
Their most recent release an intraoral scanner called the Vivascan was launched last year.
Many of you may realise that this is a cooperation with Planmeca and in-fact is an Emerald S Scanner white labeled.
VivaScan by Ivoclar Overview by Dr Cacioppo
Here is an early insight into the VivaScan, the first intraoral scanner by Ivoclar. A friend gave me the opportunity to test this new scanner and what did I do? I put it in a live course right away!
I also tested it next to 10 other IOS (including the big and most popular ones at the moment) on an implant patient and then tested it on 12 trainees so I could get feedback immediately.... and above all many meshes to analyze.
VivaScan Intraoral Scanner Features
We were all amazed by the result of the tests. Starting with the hardware, which was already seen on Emerald and Emerald S (it’s a project between Planmeca and Ivoclar) it’s very well made, ergonomic, light and balanced.
The scanner tips are interchangeable and heated tips come in two sizes. The two physical buttons allow you to activate certain functions quickly, and if pressed together they activate the 3D gyroscope/mouse.
The hardware feature I like the most is connectivity: USB (C on one side and A on the other). It's self-powered, so no power supply or cable needed - quite similar to Medit.
How the VivaScan by Ivoclar behaves in the mouth
Well firstly, the scan is very fluid on both hard and soft tissues. Absolutely doesn't take double images. No particular issues in the nearby areas (obviously using an appropriate scan strategy) and no particular issues on scan-bodies.
It's incredible on the soft palate: I've never seen a scanner almost reach the corner without any effort and without ever losing its scan stitching!
On the software side of things: everything is very basic. Let’s say that to date it’s an “optical fingerprint”, meaning it just acquires data and makes a digital impression.
There are currently very few tools, however we know, an update is enough to turn everything upside down (let’s just hope that the company understands well what an optical scanner is and what it needs).
The scanner enables very quick rendering and meshes cleaned up nicely. The algorithms - although not great - work well and fluently. Everything is what you would expect from any modern intraoral scanner.
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An unusual feature of the VivaScan
Something that I was quite surprised about - that I hope many other companies take note and implement - is the unlimited acquisition folders and importance placed on user experience.
Essentially, the operator can choose how many upper arch acquisition, how many inferior, how many buccal bites, etc and place them in the order you like the most.
Unfortunately, to achieve perfection the possibility to "copy" an acquisition from one folder to another is missing.... but as I have already written above all you need is a software update and that can be changed.
The mesh is fairly dense and well distributed triangles. However, I find them too "uniformed" and with an unreasonable tiling. However, it's important to remember that this project is in its infancy, and a software update is all that's needed to fix many of these issues.
Pros and Cons of the VivaScan by Ivoclar
Here's what I enjoyed about the VivaScan by Ivoclar:
- Self powered USB cable.
- Ergonomic and lightweight
- Multiple “infinite” acquisition folders.
What I didn't like:
- Preview with dark colors and “noisy” images
- Lack of valid AI algorithms and active filtering
- Too uniform triangles
VivaScan by Ivoclar Conclusion
Overall, I think this is a pretty good first effort by Ivoclar. While it definitely needs some work done to it, and a substantial software update, all the makings of a great intraoral scanner are there.
If the company puts significant time and effort into making this a great scanner, I can see this being a great option for dentists. With that said, it will certainly take a lot of time, effort and money on Ivoclar's part to get this scanner competing with industry heavyweights.
What are your thoughts about the Vivascan? Leave your comments below!
