TRIOS 5

TRIOS 5 is the premium scanner for buyers who want openness and a price they can read. It is wireless and light, exports open files, and unlike most rivals at this level its price and service terms are published. After the first year you can keep using it without paying anything.

It is not the newest TRIOS, and the two prices on 3Shape's own pages differ by $800, so confirm the current figure. For practices that are not built around Invisalign, it is the benchmark to compare others against.

What TRIOS 5 is

TRIOS 5 Wireless is an intraoral scanner from 3Shape, launched in September 2022. It is the smallest TRIOS wand to date at 3.8 by 3.7 by 26.6 cm and weighs 299 g with the battery. It connects over 5 GHz wireless at up to 15 meters and needs no calibration.

3Shape's ScanAssist engine aligns the images into a 3D model as you scan. The scanner comes with the 3Shape Unite workflow platform and a set of patient-communication apps. TRIOS 6 now sits above it in the range, with additional diagnostic features.

Price and cost of ownership

Over five years, a TRIOS 5 with no service plan after year one costs the purchase price. With TRIOS Care for the remaining four years it costs about $10,500 more. Either way you can budget it exactly, which is rare for a scanner at this level. See how it compares in the intraoral scanner price guide.

Where TRIOS 5 is strong

• Freedom. Open files, no mandatory subscription and no tie to a single aligner company.
• Ergonomics. Light, wireless, with three batteries; 3Shape says each scans up to 33 patients.
• Hygiene. A closed autoclavable tip with a sapphire window, plus thin single-use sleeves.
• Transparency. You can configure and price it online.
• Included software. Unite and several patient-engagement apps come with the scanner.

Where it falls short

• Price level. Open scanners from other makers cost a fraction of this.
• Support costs extra after year one. Without TRIOS Care there is no warranty or express replacement.
• Add-ons. Implant planning and some other modules are separate purchases.
• Not the top model. 3Shape lists its AI diagnostic aid, TRIOS Dx Plus, with TRIOS 6.
• Evidence. We have no independent accuracy study on file; 3Shape's figures are its own.

Alternatives to compare

• TRIOS 6, the newer model: TRIOS 5 vs TRIOS 6.
• Primescan Connect: Primescan Connect vs TRIOS 5.
• iTero Lumina if Invisalign is central to your practice.

All models: intraoral scanner ranking.

Bottom line

TRIOS 5 is an easy scanner to recommend to a practice that wants quality and independence and is prepared to pay for them once. Confirm the current price, decide whether you want TRIOS Care after the first year, and check which add-on modules you would actually use.