When Dr. Mindaugas Kudelis began looking for an intraoral scanner in 2020, he had the same question many dentists have: how do you justify the investment?
Material savings seemed the obvious answer – less spent on impressions, plaster models, shipping and storage. But they were not enough.
“If I considered only material savings, it would still be an expensive purchase.”
Once Dr. Kudelis considered the full workflow, the value became clearer.
Digital scanning made it faster to share cases, communicate with the lab and correct missing information without retaking a full impression.
“With digital pathways, you just scan the missing area in a few seconds, and you’re done.”
That can mean fewer remakes, try-ins and additional appointments while helping cases move more smoothly from scan to the final restoration.
To put a value on the time saved, we entered a scenario of 40 crowns per month at €750 per crown – the European average used in the case study – into the 3Shape ROI calculator. It estimated that moving from an analog to a digital workflow could save a practice 21.3 hours each month.
Use your own crown production data to see how much time and money a digital workflow could save your practice.
Calculate your ROIFor Dr. Kudelis, the real benefit is having more control over how he uses his time. Digital workflows allow him to see more patients in fewer hours – or maintain the same workload and reclaim more time outside the practice.
“You can either make more money in less time or work less for the same income. I prefer the second.”