Facial Scanners are Obsolete in Digital MFP, here's why..

Facial scanners are transforming prosthodontics—especially maxillofacial prosthodontics and smile design—by enabling precise, patient-specific planning.

But, when comparing dedicated facial scanners to mobile phone-based 3D scanning apps (like Bellus3D, FaceScan, or iPhone’s TrueDepth-based workflows), there are obvious disadvantages of facial scanners relative to mobile phone scanners in prosthodontics and maxillofacial applications

In comparison to most widely used methods of data acquisition, Facial scanners outshine others in accuracy and fidelity, but at what Return on investment?

See for yourself,

Feature	Facial Scanner	Mobile App Scanner	CT Scan	MRI
Surface Detail Accuracy	High-resolution 3D surface capture	Moderate; depends on phone hardware	Poor; lacks fine surface texture	Poor; not designed for surface anatomy
Internal Anatomy Visualization	❌ Not available	❌ Not available	✅ Excellent for bone, teeth, implants	✅ Excellent for soft tissue, nerves, muscles
Soft Tissue Dynamics	Limited (static scan)	Limited (static scan)	❌ Not captured	✅ Can capture functional movement (advanced MRI)
Radiation Exposure	❌ None	❌ None	⚠️ Yes (ionizing radiation)	❌ None
Scan Time	Fast (seconds to minutes)	Very fast (seconds)	Moderate (minutes)	Long (15–45 minutes)
Cost & Accessibility	High cost, clinic-based	Low cost, highly accessible	Moderate to high; requires imaging center	High; limited availability
Portability	❌ Not portable	✅ Highly portable	❌ Not portable	❌ Not portable
Integration with CAD/CAM	✅ Seamless	✅ With some apps	✅ Widely supported	⚠️ Complex; limited support
Use in Smile Design	✅ Excellent for esthetics	✅ Good for preliminary visualization	⚠️ Limited; lacks surface realism	❌ Not suitable for esthetic planning
Use in Maxillofacial Prosthetics	✅ Ideal for external anatomy	⚠️ Limited; good for outreach	✅ Ideal for skeletal modeling	✅ Ideal for soft tissue modeling
Best Use Case	High-fidelity esthetic & prosthetic planning	Outreach, patient education, quick scans	Implant planning, bone modeling, surgical guides	Soft tissue modeling, palliative or dynamic cases

Facial scanners are revolutionizing prosthodontics—especially smile design and maxillofacial rehab—by enabling precise, patient-specific planning. They allow virtual patient creation, esthetic alignment, and custom prosthesis design with rapid, non-invasive workflows. Compared to mobile 3D apps (like Bellus3D or TrueDepth), dedicated scanners offer superior accuracy but are costlier, less portable, and require training. CT scans provide deep anatomical insight for surgical planning but lack surface detail and involve radiation. MRI excels in soft tissue visualization and dynamic imaging, ideal for palliative or post-oncologic prosthetics, though it’s slower and less bone-reliable. For economically viable, high-fidelity prosthetics, a hybrid workflow—CT for internal anatomy, mobile scans for esthetics, and MRI for soft tissue—offers the best fusion for functionally adaptive, patient-specific outcomes.

For information on V-Invent Max-fac Prostheses Devices like Shade-guide, Silicon, Stains kit, Adhesives and Digital MFP Services please visit Max-fac Prostheses section on our website https://www.vinvent.in/

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Abhishek Nagaraj