Making the leap into digital dentistry is one of the most important decisions a dental practice can make. With so many intraoral scanners flooding the market, choosing the right dental scanner for your specific needs, budget, and workflow can feel overwhelming. If you’re considering an Eighteeth intraoral scanner, you’re already on the right track.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare two of Eighteeth’s most popular models:
- Helios 500
- Helios 680
By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of which scanner aligns with your practice goals, patient volume, and budget constraints.
Understanding the Helios Scanner Lineup:
Before diving into the specifics, it’s important to understand where these scanners fit in the broader landscape of digital dentistry. Eighteeth, founded in 2008, has positioned itself as a democratizing force in the intraoral scanner market. While premium brands like TRIOS 5 and Medit i900 command prices at the higher end of the market, Eighteeth offers clinically viable alternatives at a fraction of the cost.
The Helios 500 serves as Eighteeth’s entry-level offering, designed specifically for practices taking their first steps into digital workflows. Whereas Helios 680 represents the company’s flagship model with enhanced specifications and advanced features that rival mid-range scanners from established manufacturers.
Helios 500: Affordable Digital Dentistry Without Compromise
Price and Value Proposition:
Helios 500 is known for its affordability and quality. The aggressive pricing doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing quality. Helios 500 delivers fundamental scanning capabilities that meet the clinical needs of most general dental practices. It’s particularly attractive for smaller clinics, practices in emerging markets, or dentists who want to test the digital waters before making a larger investment.
Technical Specifications:
Here are the key specifications that matter:
Accuracy:
The scanner achieves 20 μm full-arch accuracy, which falls well within the clinically acceptable threshold of 200 μm for full-arch scans. This level of precision is sufficient for most restorative applications including crowns, bridges, veneers, and orthodontic planning.
Scanning Speed:
Despite its budget-friendly pricing, the Helios 500 completes a full-arch scan in under 30 seconds. This impressive speed minimizes patient discomfort and maximizes chair-side efficiency—critical factors for busy practices trying to see more patients without extending appointment times.
Weight and Ergonomics:
At 280 grams, the dental scanner sits in the middle of the pack and is lighter than the TRIOS 5 (375g). The scanner features two tip sizes to accommodate different patient anatomies and a 180° reversible tip design for convenience during scanning.
AI Technology:
The Helios 500 incorporates artificial intelligence to automatically filter soft tissue during scanning, creating a smoother workflow and more natural-looking digital impressions. This AI-powered soft tissue lock reduces the need for manual editing and speeds up post-processing.
Anti-Fogging:
One of the standout features is instant anti-fogging that requires zero warm-up time. This plug-and-play capability means you can start scanning immediately, eliminating the 5–10-minute heating period required by many competing scanners.
Software and Workflow Integration:
The Helios 500 software package includes essential tools like a model builder, orthodontic simulator, and AI-driven diagnostic capabilities. The scanner exports files in STL and PLY formats, ensuring compatibility with popular CAD/CAM systems and dental labs worldwide.
There are no mandatory subscription fees, cloud storage costs, or annual licensing charges—a refreshing departure from the industry trend toward recurring revenue models. This makes the total cost of ownership incredibly transparent and budget friendly.
Ideal Use Cases for Helios 500:
The Helios 500 is the perfect intraoral scanner for:
- Startup dental practices with limited capital
- Smaller clinics performing 10-20 restorative cases per month
- Practices in developing regions where premium scanner prices are prohibitive
- Dentists new to digital dentistry who want to learn without massive financial risk
- Mobile or satellite clinics needing a portable, lightweight solution
Helios 680: Flagship Performance at Mid-Range Pricing:
Price and Market Position:
The Helios 680 represents a significant upgrade over the 500, though exact intraoral scanner price information varies by region and supplier. The affordable pricing positions the Helios 680 as an attractive alternative for practices that need advanced capabilities but can’t justify the cost of top-tier scanners.
Advanced Technical Specifications:
The Helios 680 delivers flagship-level performance across multiple dimensions:
Superior Accuracy:
With 16-20 μm full-arch precision and 8 μm single-tooth accuracy, the Helios 680 matches or exceeds many premium scanners. This level of detail is critical for complex implant cases, full-mouth reconstructions, and demanding prosthodontic applications where marginal fit is paramount.
Ultra-High-Speed Scanning:
The dental scanner operates at 30 frames per second (FPS), delivering ultra-smooth real-time scanning that makes full-arch captures faster and more fluid. This high frame rate reduces the learning curve for new users and minimizes patient movement artifacts.
Full-Color 3D Imaging:
Unlike the Helios 500, the 680 captures true full-color 3D scans with 24-bit color depth. This capability dramatically improves shade matching, patient education, and communication with dental laboratories. Patients can see realistic representations of their dental anatomy, which significantly increases case acceptance rates.
Lightweight Champion:
At just 245 grams (or 161.5g in some configurations), the Helios 680 is one of the lightest scanners on the market. This reduced weight minimizes hand fatigue during extended scanning sessions a crucial consideration for practices performing multiple scans daily.
Enhanced Depth of Field:
The 18mm depth of field allows the Helios 680 to capture more extensive clinical detail in a single pass, reducing the need for multiple repositions and improving overall scan efficiency.
AI-Powered Intelligence:
The Helios 680 takes artificial intelligence to the next level with several advanced features:
- Breakpoint Recognition: If scanning is interrupted, the AI automatically identifies where you left off and seamlessly continues
- Soft Tissue Lock: Advanced filtering that creates cleaner margins and reduces post-processing time
- Prep Analysis: Automated assessment of preparation margins, undercuts, and occlusal clearance
- AI Restoration Suggestions: When paired with an NVIDIA GPU, the system can suggest optimal restoration designs
Professional Software Ecosystem:
The Eighteeth intraoral scanner software for the 680 model includes comprehensive cloud integration powered by AWS, enabling real-time case sharing between dentists, patients, and laboratory platforms. This cloud infrastructure provides lower latency and greater reliability than traditional file transfer methods.
The scanner maintains open platform compatibility with exocad, 3Shape, and Dental Wings, exporting in STL, OBJ, and PLY formats. This flexibility ensures you’re never locked into a proprietary ecosystem.
Autoclavable Tips and Hygiene:
Both the Helios 500 and 680 feature autoclavable scanning tips, but the 680’s tips are rated for up to 100 autoclave cycles—significantly higher than industry averages. This durability reduces long-term consumable costs and ensures consistent hygiene standards.
Ideal Use Cases for Helios 680:
The Helios 680 excels in:
- High-volume practices performing 30+ digital impressions per month
- Specialty practices focusing on implant dentistry, full-mouth rehabilitation, or complex prosthodontics
- Practices emphasizing patient education and leveraging full-color visualization for case acceptance
- Multi-doctor practices requiring a robust, professional-grade dental scanner
- Practices seeking to compete with premium-equipped competitors without the premium price tag
Side-by-Side Comparison: Helios 500 vs Helios 680: 
Making Your Decision: Which Scanner is Right for You?
Choose the Helios 500 if:
You’re a general dentist performing routine restorative work like crowns, bridges, and basic orthodontic cases. Your practice volume doesn’t justify the higher investment of the 680, and you’re primarily looking to eliminate traditional impression materials and modernize your workflow. The Helios 500 offers exceptional value for money and will meet the clinical needs of most everyday cases.
Budget constraints are a significant factor, especially if you’re just starting your practice or operating in a cost-sensitive market. The minimal ongoing costs (no subscriptions, affordable tips) make this intraoral scanner an intelligent choice for practices watching every dollar.
You want to test digital dentistry before committing to a more expensive system. The Helios 500 serves as an excellent training platform—you can learn the fundamentals of digital scanning without the pressure of a massive investment.
Choose the Helios 680 if:
You’re performing complex implant cases, full-arch rehabilitations, or high-precision prosthodontic work where the 8 μm single-tooth accuracy makes a tangible difference in marginal fit and patient outcomes. The enhanced precision of this dental scanner justifies the higher cost in these demanding applications.
Patient education and case acceptance are priorities for your practice. The full-color 3D imaging capabilities transform patient consultations—people understand and accept treatment when they can see realistic, colorized representations of their dental conditions. This feature alone can increase case acceptance rates by 20-30%.
You’re a high-volume practice performing multiple scans daily. The 245g weight, 30 FPS scanning speed, and advanced AI features reduce operator fatigue and improve efficiency across dozens of cases. The time savings compound quickly when you’re scanning 5-10 times per day.
You want a future-proof investment that can grow with your practice. The Helios 680 has the technical specifications and software ecosystem to remain relevant for years, even as technology continues advancing.
Understanding the Return on Investment:
When evaluating intraoral scanner price options, it’s essential to consider return on investment (ROI) beyond the initial purchase cost.
Cost Savings:
Traditional impression materials cost approximately $10-15 per impression when you factor in alginate, trays, disinfection, and shipping. A practice taking 20 impressions monthly spends $200-300 on materials alone—$2,400-3,600 annually. With either the Helios 500 or 680, these costs disappear entirely.
Digital impressions also dramatically reduce remake rates. Studies show that digital scans reduce laboratory remakes by up to 50% compared to traditional impressions. Each avoided remake saves $150-400 in lab fees and 30-60 minutes of chair time—savings that accumulate rapidly.
Time Efficiency:
Both Eighteeth intraoral scanners complete full-arch scans in under a minute, compared to 10-15 minutes for traditional impressions (including setup, taking, cleanup, and potential retakes). This efficiency allows practices to see 1-2 additional patients per day, generating significant incremental revenue
Patient Satisfaction and Retention:
Patients overwhelmingly prefer digital scanning to traditional impressions. The elimination of messy, uncomfortable materials creates a better patient experience, leading to higher satisfaction scores, more positive reviews, and increased referrals.
Technical Support and Long-Term Viability:
One concern with budget-friendly manufacturers is long-term support. Eighteeth has demonstrated commitment to after-sales service, including UK and international warranty coverage, timely technical support, and regular software updates.
Both the Helios 500 and 680 are calibration-free systems—the optical components are fixed in place and don’t require regular recalibration. This design reduces maintenance headaches and ensures consistent performance over time.
Final Recommendations:
The choice between the Helios 500 and Helios 680 ultimately depends on your specific clinical needs, practice volume, and budget.
For most general practitioners, especially those new to digital dentistry or operating smaller practices, the Helios 500 represents an outstanding value proposition. For high-volume practices, specialists, or dentists serious about competing at the highest level, the Helios 680 justifies its higher cost through superior accuracy, full-color imaging, and advanced AI capabilities. The enhanced specifications translate directly into better patient outcomes, higher case acceptance, and improved practice efficiency—all of which generate measurable financial returns.
Both scanners share important strengths: open platform compatibility, no subscription fees, instant anti-fogging, autoclavable tips, and user-friendly software. You really can’t go wrong with either Eighteeth intraoral scanner—the decision comes down to matching features to your specific practice requirements.
Ready to Transform Your Practice?
Digital dentistry is no longer optional—it’s becoming the standard of care that patients expect, and competitors are already offering. Whether you choose the budget-friendly Helios 500 or the feature-rich Helios 680, you’re making an investment that will modernize your practice, improve patient satisfaction, and position you for long-term success.
Discover which Helios scanner fits your practice budget and needs—shop now and join the thousands of dental professionals worldwide who have already made the switch to digital impressions. The future of dentistry is digital, and Eighteeth has made it accessible to practices of every size and specialty.
Don’t let your practice fall behind while competitors embrace digital technology. The question isn’t whether to invest in an intraoral scanner—it’s which model best serves your patients and your practice goals.
Want to discuss your specific needs, request a demonstration, or place your order for the Helios 500 or Helios 680?
