Equipment · Intraoral scanners

Intraoral Scanner Financing

An intraoral scanner replaces impression material with a digital workflow. Entry units (Medit i700, Aoralscan) run $20K–$25K; mid-tier (3Shape Trios Move) runs $25K–$35K; high-end (iTero 5D Plus, Primescan AC, Trios 5) runs $35K–$50K. The high-end systems add caries detection (iTero NIRI), advanced shade matching, and direct ortho/implant workflow integration.

Typical cost: $20,000–$50,000

No hard credit pull to start. · Takes about 2 minutes.

Cost context

What drives the price spread.

Standalone scanners price below CEREC chairside CAD/CAM because they don't include the milling station. They're often the first digital-workflow investment for a practice — the lab cost savings start immediately even without chairside milling.

Section 179

Placement-in-service mechanics.

Place in service by 12/31 is straightforward for scanners: install runs 1–2 weeks, training is half a day to a day. Order by early December for current-year deduction. The narrower bottleneck is staff training to scan-eligibility; book the trainer in advance.

Structure

Lease vs. finance for this equipment.

Scanners are a tossup. Refresh cycle is 4–5 years (faster than CBCT, slower than CEREC). FMV lease works if you're following the next-gen wave; EFA / $1-buyout works if you plan to keep the unit past the warranty.

ROI

Payback math.

Per-restoration savings: $30–$60 in impression material + tray + shipping for fixed prosthetics; meaningful soft-tissue diagnostic value on perio scans. At 2–4 scans/day, an entry scanner returns its purchase price in lab/material savings inside 24 months.

Common manufacturers

What lenders typically finance.

  • Align iTero 5D / 5D Plus
  • Dentsply Sirona Primescan AC
  • 3Shape Trios 4 / Trios 5
  • Medit i700 / i900
  • Carestream CS 3700 / 3800

Brand-specific financing pages launch in Wave 2.

FAQ

Questions about financing this.

Is iTero financing only through Align?
No. Align's in-house financing is one path; you can also finance the same iTero through bank specialty programs, often at lower APR.