New Photogrammetry Scan Services in Central Florida
The difference in cost between paying for a photogrammetry scanning service and the traditional approach of taking a physical impression and doing a verification jig involves several factors. These factors are not only financial but also related to time, materials, labor, and long-term savings. Let’s break this down into the key components of each approach to highlight the cost differences.
1. Cost of Traditional Impression Method
Traditional impressions for a full arch restoration, especially when implants are involved, can require several materials and steps:
Materials and Equipment
Impression Materials: To take a traditional impression, you need high-quality impression materials like alginate, polyether, or polysiloxane. These materials are sold in cartridges or tubs, and while relatively affordable, they can add up over time.
Cost: $50 - $150 for each full arch impression (including material waste, trays, etc.).
Impression Trays: Custom or stock trays (sometimes disposable) need to be used. Some practices may require special trays, particularly for full arch or implant impressions.
Cost: $10 - $50 each, especially if custom-made for the patient.
Implant Parts (for cases involving implants):
Impression Copings: For implant cases, specific impression copings must be used to capture the positions of the implants in the mouth. These parts are reusable but come at a cost per case.
Cost: $50 - $200 per arch, depending on the type of implant system used.
Verification Jig: A verification jig is used to ensure the accuracy of the implant positions, especially when transferring the position of implants from the patient’s mouth to the laboratory model.
Cost: $100 - $250 for a jig, as it typically involves materials like acrylic, and sometimes additional components such as silicone or bite registration materials.
Other Consumables: You also have the cost of additional consumables like bonding agents, separators, adhesives, etc., especially when making final impressions for restorations.
Cost: $20 - $50 per patient.
Time and Labor Costs
Clinical Time: Traditional impressions take time to prepare, take the impression, verify it for accuracy, and sometimes redo them if there are issues (e.g., distortions, bubbles).
Time: Typically 30 minutes to 1 hour for the entire process (taking the impression, making adjustments, and verification).
Dental Assistant Time: Dental assistants play a major role in mixing and preparing impression materials, taking the impressions, and cleaning up afterward.
Cost: Approximately $25 - $50 per hour for dental assistants.
Lab Time: If you need a verification jig or a custom tray, this requires additional work by the dental laboratory to fabricate these parts.
Cost: $100 - $300 depending on the complexity of the case and the amount of time the lab needs to spend on producing models, verification jigs, and adjustments.
Total Cost for Traditional Method:
Materials and Implant Parts: $250 - $750 for the full arch impression, verification jig, and related consumables.
Time (Clinical + Lab): Around 1.5 - 3 hours of total time (clinical and lab), which translates to about $150 - $250 for the dentist's and assistant's time combined.
2. Cost of Photogrammetry Scanning Service
A photogrammetry scan involves using a digital scanner to capture the patient’s full arch in 3D. The service itself may cost around $1000, but this includes several advantages that may offset traditional method costs in the long run:
Materials and Equipment
Scanner Usage: The primary cost for photogrammetry is the cost of the scanning service itself, which typically includes all the equipment and software necessary to capture and process the 3D data. The dentist may not need to purchase the scanning equipment directly if they’re outsourcing to a third-party service provider.
Cost: $1000 (typically includes the scanning process and digital model generation).
Time and Labor Costs
Clinical Time: A photogrammetry scan is typically much faster than taking traditional impressions. The scanning process itself can often be completed in 10-20 minutes for a full arch. The patient doesn’t need to wait for materials to set or for adjustments to be made.
Time: Typically 10-20 minutes of the dentist’s time for scanning.
Dental Assistant Time: Since the scanning is digital, much of the physical labor is reduced. A dental assistant may still be involved, but the time required is minimal compared to preparing materials, taking impressions, and verifying.
Cost: $20 - $40 (if minimal assistant time is needed for the scan setup and post-processing).
Lab Time:
Faster Turnaround: Digital scans can be sent directly to the lab, reducing time spent on making physical models and verification jigs. The lab can work directly from the digital model, ensuring a quicker design process for the zirconia restoration.
Cost: Reduced lab time due to accuracy and no need for physical models, likely cutting lab costs by 20-30%.
Total Cost for Photogrammetry:
Service Fee: Around $1000 for the full scanning service, which includes the digital impression and all the associated post-processing costs.
Time (Clinical + Lab): The time is considerably less (15-30 minutes total for the dentist and assistant), translating to lower labor costs.
No Materials: No need to purchase consumables like impression materials, copings, or verification jigs.
Key Advantages of Photogrammetry Over Traditional Methods:
Reduced Consumable Costs: Photogrammetry eliminates the need for impression materials, impression copings, and verification jigs, which can save money in the long run, especially for high-volume practices.
Faster Workflow: The scanning process is quicker and more efficient, reducing both clinical and lab time. The faster workflow can translate to more patients seen per day, improving practice productivity.
Increased Accuracy: The digital model obtained through photogrammetry is highly accurate, reducing the need for remakes or adjustments, which can be costly and time-consuming.
Lower Labor Costs: Since photogrammetry is faster and requires fewer manual steps, the labor costs (both clinical and laboratory) are generally lower than with traditional methods.
No Need for Verification Jigs: In many cases, a verification jig is not needed when using photogrammetry, as the digital model is highly accurate, reducing the need for additional materials and time.
Conclusion:
While the upfront cost for a photogrammetry scanning service may be $1000, it can actually be cost-effective in the long run, especially for full arch zirconia cases. Traditional methods often involve a combination of impression materials, implant parts, verification jigs, and more time spent on both clinical procedures and lab work. By contrast, photogrammetry reduces the need for these consumables and significantly cuts down on the time required for both the dentist and the laboratory, making it a more efficient and potentially less expensive solution in terms of total cost per case.