Guides & articles
Practical guides on dental CAD design
Short, practical reads for laboratories and clinics: how outsourcing design works, how the major CAD platforms compare, and what to look for in a remote design partner.
5 min read
How to Outsource Dental CAD Design
Everything a lab or clinic should know before outsourcing crown, denture or implant design — from file preparation to quality checks.
Read guide4 min read
exocad vs 3Shape for Crown Design
exocad or 3Shape? A practical look at how the two leading dental CAD platforms compare for everyday crown and bridge design.
Read guide4 min read
Choosing a Dental CAD Design Partner
Five practical questions to ask before sending your first case to a remote dental CAD designer.
Read guide6 min read
How CAD/CAM Crowns Work, Step by Step
From intraoral scan to milled restoration — what actually happens in each stage of a digital crown, and where designs usually go wrong.
Read guide6 min read
Surgical Guide Design: The Complete Workflow
What files are needed, how CBCT and scan data are matched, and how a printable, stable implant guide is designed.
Read guide5 min read
Custom Abutments: When to Use Them Instead of Stock
The clinical situations where a custom abutment is worth it, and what goes into designing one correctly.
Read guide5 min read
Night Guard and Splint Design: What Makes One Work
Hard, soft, full or partial coverage — how splint type, thickness and occlusion decide whether the patient actually wears it.
Read guide5 min read
What Is Digital Smile Design?
How photos, scans and CAD software come together to plan an aesthetic case — and why a digital preview changes the conversation with the patient.
Read guide6 min read
The Digital Denture Design Workflow
From the first scan to a printed or milled denture: the records needed, how the setup is designed and where digital dentures save appointments.
Read guide5 min read
How Clear Aligner Design Works
What happens between the intraoral scan and the printed aligner models: staging, IPR, attachments and the checks that keep treatment realistic.
Read guide6 min read
How to Prepare Dental Scan Files for CAD Design
Which files a designer actually needs, how to export them, and the scanning mistakes that cost you a day of turnaround.
Read guide6 min read
Implant Bar Design: What Labs Should Know
Bar types, passive fit, cantilever limits and attachment placement — how implant bars are designed digitally, and what to send.
Read guide6 min read
Digital RPD Design Workflow: From Scan to Framework
Digital surveying, path of insertion, clasp choice by Kennedy class and connector design — how an RPD framework is built in CAD.
Read guide5 min read
Dental Lab Outsourcing: What to Send Out and What to Keep
Which parts of lab work make sense to outsource, why CAD design is the easiest place to start, and how to test a partner safely.
Read guide5 min read
Screw-Retained vs Cement-Retained Implant Crowns: Design Considerations
The design differences between screw-retained and cement-retained implant crowns, and what information your designer needs for each.
Read guide4 min read
Zirconia Crown Design: A Practical CAD Checklist
A practical checklist for designing monolithic and layered zirconia crowns and bridges in CAD software.
Read guide4 min read
E.max Crown Design: A CAD Checklist for Lithium Disilicate
What to check when designing lithium disilicate crowns, veneers and onlays so they mill, crystallise and seat correctly.
Read guide5 min read
All-on-4 and All-on-X Full Arch Design: What Labs Should Know
A practical overview of full arch implant design, from the scans you need to the final STL for a hybrid, bar or monolithic prosthesis.
Read guide4 min read
7 Common Crown Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Most crown remakes come from a few repeated design errors. Here is what to check before a crown goes to the mill.
Read guide4 min read
How Much Does Dental CAD Design Cost? What Affects the Price
Per-case pricing explained: what drives the cost of crown, implant and full arch design, and how to compare it with an in-house designer.
Read guide7 min read
Implant Bridge Design: A Practical Guide for Dental Labs
From scan bodies to connectors and screw channels — what decides whether an implant-supported bridge seats passively and lasts.
Read guide7 min read
Hybrid Denture Design: What Labs Need to Know
A screw-retained, implant-supported full-arch prosthesis — how it is planned, designed and prepared for production.
Read guide7 min read
Zirconia Bridge Design: A Guide for Dental Labs
Monolithic or layered, tooth- or implant-supported — what decides whether a zirconia bridge is strong, aesthetic and easy to seat.
Read guide6 min read
Maryland Bridge Design: A Guide for Labs and Clinics
A minimally invasive way to replace a single tooth — and a design where wing shape and connector size decide success.
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