Shining3D Dental 3D Scanners: All You Need to Know

Chinese-based Shining 3D company, founded in 2004, is one of the leaders in the 3D scanning and additive manufacturing technologies market. The company develops three business segments, namely Einscan, Metrology, and Digital Dentistry, offering complete “3D Scan — Intelligent Design — 3D Print” solutions for all of them.

In this article, we are going to look at the Shining 3D equipment designed for dental applications.

 

Dentistry goes digital

In 2012, Shining 3D released their D series lab scanners thus entering the digital dentistry market. Known primarily for its scanning equipment, the company released a dental DLP 3D printer called AccuFab-D1 in 2018, with the Aoralscan intraoral scanner launched next year.

Shining 3D continues to develop and promote a variety of dental solutions, helping labs and practices to go digital. Today more than 80 countries and over 8000 dental labs, clinics, and colleges use Shining 3D products all over the world. Digital technologies in this industry help minimize complicated manual labor and eliminate possible errors.

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The company offers two solution types — for dental labs and for clinics: both include 3D scanners, 3D printers witn a variety of resins, and specialized software.

 

Intraoral scanners

Aoralscan 2

The Aoralscan 2 is a dental intraoral 3D scanner recommended for use in dental clinics. The device features a user-friendly interface and provides high-precision scans with realistic colors and a clear margin line. The motion sensor allows operating the device and software by simply moving the scanner without touching the computer, which guarantees sterile scanning. The retracing function gives the opportunity to rescan certain areas to fill the holes and align the data. Due to Al, the software automatically deletes extraneous data and scanning artifacts to accomplish data optimization.

 

Aoralscan 3

The Aoralscan 3 is an intraoral dental 3D scanner featuring high accuracy, AI-based data processing algorithms, and ergonomic design. A motion-sensing function allows oral scanning with minimal contact. The Aoralscan 3 comes with 5 autoclavable scanner tips suitable for both adults and children. Also, the device is easy to operate, it provides patients’ comfort and ensures precise scan results for various clinical scenarios, such as general restorations, implants, and orthodontics.

 

Lab 3D scanners

AutoScan-DS-MIX

The AutoScan-DS-MIX is a high-end dental 3D scanner with a modular design and open construction. The device is equipped with two 5-megapixel cameras that ensure perfect capturing of the edge lines and high scanning accuracy of ≤ 7 μm. The High-efficiency scan mode allows scanning a full arch in just 13 seconds. The AutoScan-DX-MIX supports the Intelligent add-scan mode that automatically detects and rescans the missed areas. The scanner supports numerous dental scan applications, including abutment, scan body, articulator, veneer, non-separated model, all-in-one, impression, texture, and others.

 

AutoScan-DS-EX Pro

The AutoScan-DS-EX Pro scanner is notable for being compact and versatile. Advanced technology provides perfect accuracy at high scanning speed. With two projection lighting options that allow scanning both black-and-white and color images, the AutoScan-DS-EX Pro takes scanning capabilities to a high level. It is used in data collection for tooth reconstruction, orthodontics, and implantation.

 

AutoScan-DS-EX

The AutoScan-DS-EX is a desktop scanner; its compact size and weight of only 5 kilos make the device a perfect choice for office use. The AutoScan-DS-EX has a modular construction which enables easy future upgrades. The clinic mode allows for the chair-side use of the scanner in dental clinics. The device boasts impressively high speed: the scanning time for a bite is 13 s; an upper / lower jaw — 30 s; 1–8 dies — 30 s; an impression — 120 s. The AutoScan-DS-EX supports multiple dental scan applications, including wax-up, die, plaster model, impression, articulator and texture. The scanner exports the data to STL or OBJ format and is compatible with most open CAD/CAM software and hardware in the market.

 

Dental 3D printers

AccuFab-L4D

The AccuFab-L4D is a large-format dental resin 3D printer from Shining 3D. It offers a unique printing experience with high resolution, large build area of 192 x 120 x 180 mm, lightweight structure, and user-friendly operation. The printer can be easily combined with the company’s intraoral scanner and cloud data platform to create a complete ecosystem for a streamlined working process. The AccuFab-L4D is compatible with a wide range of proprietary and third-party certified dental resins which allows printing a variety of dental products.

 

AccuFab-D1s

The AccuFab-D1s is a DLP resin 3D printer featuring the print speed of up to 50mm/h and the large build volume of 144 x 81 x 160 mm which allows printing 4 arch models in an hour or multiple surgical guides in less than 30 minutes. The full HD 1080p projector enables uniform light exposure and stands for highly accurate precise prints; the minimum layer height of 25 microns ensures ultra-smooth surface finish. The AccuFab-D1s can print a large variety of dental appliances, such as dental working models, wax-up, surgical guides, customized impression trays, bracket transfer trays and others.

 

Dental resins

Shining 3D offers a wide range of dental resins, including biocompatible, for various applications, such as crown and bridge models, surgical guides, custom trays, models for the fabrication of aligners, or crown and bridge casting.

 

Software

Exocad

Exocad is a powerful tool that offers a complete software solution for all the aspects of digital dentistry. The software is highly automated and user-friendly, it allows the user to design various dental appliances quickly and accurately. Exocad can be expanded with versatile add-on modules answering the user’s particular needs.

 

Maestro Ortho Studio

Maestro Ortho Studio is orthodontic software that covers all the necessary operations while planning and performing orthodontic treatment. The software includes different modules, such as Virtual setup, Brackets placement, Virtual clear aligner, and others that can be added to the basic Study models module depending on your particular requirements.

 

Case study

Endocrown restoration

The case of endocrown restoration from the University of Milan. The dentist employed digital technologies covering the entire process from planning to restoration.

By using the Aoralscan 3 intraoral scanner, the dentist obtained complete scan data within one minute.

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Then Exocad software was used to design the restoration.

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With the help of Accuware software all the necessary pre-printing operations were completed: position arrangement, support generation, and slicing.

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The dental 3D printer AccuFab-D1s printed the crown with high accuracy and level of detail.

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Benefits of digital dentistry

Impressions obtained with 3D scanning are distinguished by high accuracy and level of detail. Compared to the conventional method, the digital model allows you to predict the clinical outcome, identifying dental problems invisible to the naked eye and even in X-rays. Such images are easy to enlarge and reorient, which allows for the accurate diagnostics and a more adequate treatment plan than ever before.

STL format is supported not only by 3D printers but also by milling machines for the production of metal crowns and implants. Dentists and dental technicians can choose the optimal solution in each particular case.

CAD/CAM improves the quality of dentures and standardizes the production process, which allows working with new materials with a high accuracy level.

Due to 3D printing, the denture manufacturing time is considerably reduced, while efficiency and precision increase.