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by Dr Jenny Liu, Happy Dentistry, Melbourne, VIC
Alliedstar is a Chinese company that was acquired by Straumann a couple of years ago. The Sensa scanner is a very nice piece of equipment that comes in at a reasonable price point.
What’s good about it
The main reason I purchased the Sensa scanner is that it’s wireless. It makes it easy to position and move the handpiece. The secondary reason is that licensing is more affordable compared to bigger name brands. Right now, there isn’t a licensing fee for the software and that saves a significant amount of money each year.
I’ve used many brands of scanners over the years and the Sensa performs comparably to most of them. It scans quickly and the tip is nice and comfortable for patients. Even though it’s a cheaper unit, there has been no compromise on comfort and the patient experience is positive.
The quality of the scans is excellent and the results are accurate. The results can be used with an in-house 3D printer or can be sent to any lab.
We purchased the Sensa from MAG Dental. I had a little trepidation as they’re not a large company but its service has been wonderful. They came out to our practice, set up the scanner and it has worked faultlessly since then. The Sensa is an excellent scanner that offers great value for money.
What’s not so good
There needs to be bridging software if you intend to use the scans with CEREC. It’s a fairly new scanner on the market so stock may be a bit difficult to find. As there are fewer suppliers, it may also be difficult to find support in your area.
