How are white light scanners?
Mark Jackson · Jun 23, 2012 at 8:21am
We have a Lava ST white light scanner, and it is currently sitting in our electrical room gathering dust. There is no doubt white light is more accurate than laser, but it's not anywhere as easy to use, calibrate or maintain as a 3Shape. In my eyes, it's just not worth the hassle.
Is the added accuracy really worth it? Accuracy is a cumulative thing. One scanner is +10um more than another. Then the mill is + 10um more than another. before you know it, you're up to 50um or more difference between another combination. Therefore, I prefer to use a system (or combination of systems) that is fast, easy, well supported, popular and common.
At a more basic level, 110um you can see with the unaided eye, 90um you cant. The tip of a dental probe is 80um. Its will pick up a margin at 90um but not at 70um. The use of a 3Shape scanner, combined with some of our 5 axis mills are capable of 20um accuracy, and that's good enough for MY mouth!
I'm no expert, so hopefully some other people will chime in.
Steve Proctor
Cesar Elibo
Mark Jackson