Digital Dental Lab: CAD/CAM Workflow

The digital path removes the two slowest steps in traditional outsourcing: shipping impressions and waiting for a model. A scan starts the production clock as soon as it is received and checked - margin, occlusion and preparation questions are asked at intake, not discovered after milling.

Every account's design preferences - margin line style, contact tightness, occlusal anatomy, connector dimensions, shade parameters - are stored as a profile and applied to repeat cases, so case forty is designed like case four without re-explaining anything.

Digital does not mean unsupervised. Complex and multi-unit cases get a design preview sent for your confirmation before production; implant work adds scan-body and library verification at intake, exactly as on the physical path.

Hybrid cases are routine: scans for design plus a physical bite or shade reference by courier, or a printed model you keep for try-in. The channel mix is your choice, case by case.

The CAD/CAM workflow, end to end

Digital intake - STL upload, 3Shape Communicate or Medit Link; files are checked for completeness, margin clarity and articulation before the case is accepted.

CAD design - margins, contacts and occlusion designed against your prescription; design previews on complex, multi-unit and implant cases.

3D printed models - verified dies and models printed in-house; implant cases are seated on the analogue for the declared platform.

CAM milling - monolithic and layered zirconia, E.max, wax patterns and partial frameworks milled from multilayer and high-strength discs.

Finishing & QC - staining, glazing and porcelain work, then the standard inspection checkpoints with independent release.

Ship & document - courier with tracking, plus a full case record - design files, materials, inspections - stored against your account.

Send a Digital Case

File formats, what to include, and the intake checklist

Scanner Connections

3Shape, Medit, iTero and other supported systems

Monolithic Zirconia

The default digital-first material for posterior work

Digital input channels we accept

STL upload	Open-format scans from any intraoral or desktop scanner - see the digital case checklist.
3Shape Communicate	Connected orders with prescription and case notes attached to the scan.
Medit Link	Direct case transfer for Medit scanner users, including design files.
Physical by courier	Impressions, models, bite records and shade tabs - packed per the physical case guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which scanners and file formats do you support?

Open STL from any scanner, plus connected 3Shape Communicate and Medit Link orders. See Scanner Connections for system-specific notes, including iTero.

When do I need to approve a design before production?

Simple single units run straight through on your stored profile. Complex, multi-unit and implant cases get a design preview - margins, contacts, screw channel and occlusion - for your written confirmation before anything is milled.

Can a case be part digital, part physical?

Yes - that is a hybrid case and it is routine: a scan for design with a physical bite registration or shade tab by courier. Your coordinator tracks both channels as one case.

What files come back to us after the case?

Your case record includes the design files, material and batch documentation and inspection results - useful for patient records, audits and repeat cases.

Send a Digital Case · Scanner Connections · Implant Crowns · Guide: send digital cases · Blog: what to send with a digital case

Ready to send your first case?

Request the price list or tell us about your first case - a named coordinator replies with the next step, not a sales script.

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Content owner: Istar Dental Lab (case coordination team) · Last updated: 2026-10-28