S04 E05 I Have Used Every Scanner on the Market. Here's What Nobody Tells You

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassiny has tested over 30 intraoral scanners, and in this episode, he reveals what the industry won't tell you about investing in digital dentistry. Ahmad joins Dr. Luken de Arbeloa on the DSD Quarterback Dentist podcast to cut through the marketing noise and give dentists the honest breakdown they actually need. From a $25,000 3D printer that ended up collecting dust to the real reason only 10% of dentists ever go beyond scan-and-send, this conversation covers the digital dentistry investment decisions that matter most. Ahmad shares his top five intraoral scanners currently in clinical use (including CEREC Primescan, Shining 3D Elite, TRIOS 5, Medit i900, and Alliedstar), explains why education should always come before any equipment purchase, and discusses the CAD software barrier that still holds most clinicians back. Whether you're just starting out with digital dentistry or trying to figure out what comes after the scanner, this episode is for you. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 - Teaser and Opening 00:29 - Welcome and Guest Introduction 02:17 - How Pain Led to Creating iDD 03:17 - Ahmad's Origin Story in Digital Dentistry 04:36 - The 3M True Vision Moment That Started It All 05:53 - Misinformation Still Plagues the Industry 06:56 - Education as Your First Investment 08:43 - Real Stories of Costly Equipment Mistakes 09:28 - From E4D to CEREC, Why Ahmad Owns So Many Scanners 10:44 - The $25,000 EnvisionTEC Printer Mistake 12:16 - Getting Objective Advice from Trusted Sources 13:15 - 30+ Scanners Tested and Reviewed 14:05 - Ahmad's Top 5 Intraoral Scanners for Clinical Use 15:48 - Alliedstar, Best Value Scanner on the Market 17:16 - iTero's Role in Interdisciplinary Dentistry 18:14 - The Course That Changed Ahmad's Career 19:17 - Digital Dentistry Is an Evolution, Not a Revolution 20:19 - From 20 Minutes to 30 Seconds, Scanning Mastery 21:44 - Why Digital Dentistry Shouldn't Be a Separate Specialty 23:35 - First Course Recommendation for Beginners 25:02 - Soft Tissue Management and Scanning Technique 26:24 - Different Pathways, Smile Design vs CAD/CAM vs Aligners 27:08 - Make Your Impression Material Expire 27:55 - Building Your Digital Roadmap 30:22 - Why Only 10% of Dentists Go Beyond Scan-and-Send 32:00 - The Smartphone as Your Most Powerful Digital Tool 33:24 - Diagnose Your Practice Before Buying Equipment 34:35 - The Intraoral Scanner Is Your Gateway to Digital 35:28 - 3D Printing, 70-80% of Dentistry Can Be Printed 36:33 - CBCT, Facial Scanners, and Beyond 37:02 - Ahmad's Final Thoughts on Digital Investment 38:20 - In-House Manufacturing vs Lab Partnerships 39:30 - 3D Printing vs Milling, Choosing the Right Output Device 39:54 - The CAD Software Barrier Nobody Talks About 41:43 - Why Digital Dentistry Has Never Been This Exciting 42:43 - Reducing Stress Through Digital Workflows 43:14 - Closing Thoughts and What's Next Read the full blog post: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/podcast/s04-e05-i-have-used-every-scanner-on-the-market-heres-what-nobody-tells-you/ 🔗 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE iDD Scanner Reviews: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/reviews/intraoral-scanners/ DSD Quarterback Dentist Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalSmileDesignOfficial 🔔 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE Subscribe to iDD for independent intraoral scanner reviews, digital dentistry news, and evidence-based education for dental professionals: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@InstituteofDigitalDentistry?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Let's be social! Follow iDD on the following platforms: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/instituteofdigitaldentistry Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/idigitaldentistry/ LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/instituteofdigitaldentistry Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@idigitaldentistry X - https://x.com/iDigitalDentist 📍Institute of Digital Dentistry At the forefront of digital dentistry education - your digital dentistry journey starts here! https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/ 📚 Join iDD's Free Academy and get instant access to over 20+ Free digital dentistry courses and eBook PDFs! https://idd.to/freeacademy 💻 Check out our online course bundles: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/bundles/ 🎙️Listen to our 'Digital Dentistry Decoded with iDD' podcast on your favorite streaming platform now! https://idd.to/podcast