Inside the Digital Dental Lab
Maximizing the 3D Dental Scan
Taking a physical mold used to mean messy putty, gag reflexes, and long wait times. A modern 3d dental scan changes that experience, offering a fast and comfortable alternative for your patients. But what actually happens after you capture that digital image and hit send?
At Sage Dental Arts, we view the digital dental workflow as a partnership. Understanding what happens inside our Oklahoma City facility helps your team appreciate the speed and accuracy achieved when a clinic and lab work in sync. By eliminating shipping delays and material distortions, we deliver superior results in a fraction of the time.
Refining the Digital Dental Workflow for Better Results
The transition from a clinic to a digital dental lab is nearly instantaneous. We receive files from industry leading devices such as the iTero dental scanner, Dentsply Sirona Primescan, and 3Shape TRIOS. However, the technology is only as good as the data provided.
Managing Digital Dental Impressions for Success
A common challenge in modern practices is the lack of formal training. To avoid ill-fitting dental crowns, it is essential to ensure the prep site is free of blood and saliva. Fluid interference is the primary cause of distorted digital files.
Expert Tip for Assistants: Before starting your scan, use a retraction cord or a hemostatic agent to ensure a dry, clear view of the margin. If the software shows a "hole" or a blurry red zone, stop and rescale that specific area.
Because digital files allow for instant communication, our technicians can clarify details while the patient is still in your chair. If a margin is unclear, we will contact you immediately to save the patient a second trip. This level of personability is the benefit of working with a family owned business.
Advanced Design for Dental Crowns and Screw Retained Implants
Next comes the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) phase. We manipulate the 3D model to engineer a restoration that fits your patient’s unique anatomy.
Whether you are ordering dental crowns, dental bridges, or specialized dental implants, our software allows for total customization. We are seeing a significant rise in the use of screw retained implants. These are often preferred by dentists because they eliminate the risk of excess cement being left subgingivally, which is a major cause of peri-implantitis.
We also specialize in digital dentures. For removable prosthetics, exact anatomical matching is required for function. Advanced CAD software enables our team to design prosthetics that align perfectly with the patient's natural bite.
Choosing the Right Tooth Shade
Accuracy is not just about fit; it is also about aesthetics. When selecting a shade for crowns or bridges, we recommend taking a digital photograph with the shade tab in the same plane as the tooth. Lighting in every office varies, so providing a photo helps our in-house shading experts match the natural translucency of the patient's teeth.
Why Your Digital Dental Lab Choice Affects Patient Care
Once the design is finalized, we move to manufacturing. Our digital dental lab utilizes high-precision milling machines and 3D printers to bring the model to life. We rely on durable materials like E.max and Multi-layered High-Translucency Zirconia for lifelike results.
During peak seasons, the efficiency of a digital workflow becomes even more critical to keep your chair time productive and your remakes low. Sage Dental Arts is a family-oriented company based in Oklahoma City. We combine decades of technical expertise with a commitment to communication. We are not a nameless corporate entity. We are an extension of your practice.
Are you ready to experience fewer remakes and more predictable results?
Contact Sage Dental Arts today to send your next case or to discuss how we can help train your staff on better scanning techniques.