How Do You Transition a Dental Lab to a Digital Workflow?
A dental lab digital workflow connects scanning, CAD design, 3D printing or milling, and post-processing through digital files instead of stone models and manual handoffs. To make the transition, start with a desktop scanner and CAD software to digitize what you already do. Add 3D printing for models first, the lowest-cost, highest-volume application. Validate one complete workflow before expanding. Most labs reach a fully functional dental lab digital workflow within one to two years, with ROI on the first printer typically within 12–18 months.
Why Are Dental Labs Moving to Digital Workflows?
The dental lab digital workflow has become the new standard for competitive dental laboratories worldwide. If your dental lab still pours stone models by hand, you are not alone. For a long time, that was simply how the industry worked. But the dental lab digital workflow has changed what is possible, and labs that have made the move are operating in a fundamentally different way.
Analog production has a structural problem that does not go away no matter how skilled your team is: it waits on itself. Every step holds the next one hostage, and that is where the real cost lives. Not in materials, but in time.
Digital workflows break that structure entirely. A model can be printing while a crown is being designed across the room. Labs that have made the move consistently report lower labor cost per case, faster turnaround, fewer remakes, and new revenue from services they used to outsource.
The mistake most labs make is trying to change everything at once. The ones that get it right start small, prove the value, and expand from there, drawing on real experience like that of Kelly Fincher, co-owner of Cosmetic Advantage Dental Laboratory in Lewisville, TX, a technician with over ten years of hands-on digital production.
What Are the Stages of a Dental Lab Digital Workflow?
A complete dental lab digital workflow has three core stages: data acquisition, design, and production. Post-processing and quality control make sure the accuracy built in during printing reaches the referring clinic. The table shows where each Rapid Shape product fits in.
The Dental Lab Digital Workflow at a Glance
| Stage | What happens | Typical equipment and software |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Data acquisition | A digital file arrives from the referring office, or a physical impression is scanned in-house. | Intraoral scanner in the clinic, desktop scanner in the lab |
| 2. CAD design | The technician designs models, splints, surgical guides, custom trays, denture bases and temporaries. | Dental CAD software such as exocad, 3Shape Unite Studios or Medit Link |
| 3. Print preparation | Parts are nested, oriented and supported, and the validated material profile is selected. | Rapid Shape Print Studio |
| 4. Production | Models, splints, guides, trays, try-ins and temporaries are printed; high-strength final restorations are milled. | Dental 3D printer such as the Rapid Shape D50+, PRO 20 or PRO 30, plus a milling unit |
| 5. Post-processing | Printed parts are washed, UV cured and finished according to the validated material workflow. | Rapid Shape WASH and CURE |
| 6. Quality control | Accuracy is checked before parts leave the lab. | Caliper checks against reference measurements, scan overlays |
Data Acquisition: Scanning
Every digital case starts with a scan, either a digital file from the referring office, or a physical impression scanned in-house with a desktop scanner. Scan quality is what everything downstream depends on.
Design: CAD Software
Design happens in dental CAD software, covering the full range: models, splints, surgical guides, custom trays, denture bases, temporaries, partials. Most platforms are built to feel familiar to technicians who already know analog workflows. The finished designs then go to Rapid Shape Print Studio, which handles print preparation such as nesting, orientation and supports, and integrates directly with design software including exocad, 3Shape Unite Studios and Medit Link.
Production: 3D Printing and Milling
- Milling: high-strength final restorations: zirconia, lithium disilicate, full-contour bridges.
- 3D printing: models, splints, surgical guides, custom trays, denture try-ins, temporaries, PMMA. Faster, lower cost, no milling constraints.
Post-Processing: Washing, Curing, Finishing
Every printed part needs washing, UV curing, and finishing done properly according to validated workflows. The accuracy your printer builds in does not survive poor post-processing.
How to Set Up a Digital Dental Lab: A 5-Step Plan
Step 1: Map your current production
Before you buy anything, map your production as it actually runs. Where do cases sit longest? Which applications generate the most remakes? That tells you where digital investment pays off fastest.
Step 2: Pick one application and validate it
Labs that struggle with digital transitions almost always tried to change too much at once. Pick one application, models are the most common starting point, and build a complete, validated workflow before touching anything else.
Step 3: Choose your ecosystem, not just your equipment
A scanner, CAD platform, and printer designed to work together save enormous troubleshooting time. Rapid Shape printers come with validated material libraries and automated workflows that reduce uncertainty from day one. To compare the systems side by side, see our dental 3D printer buyer’s guide for labs, and find your local Rapid Shape distributor for hands-on support.
Step 4: Validate before you scale
Run caliper checks against known reference measurements. Get honest feedback from referring clinicians before committing to full volume.
Step 5: Let your outsource bill guide what to digitize next
Once your first workflow is stable, look at your monthly outsource spend. Whatever is highest is your next candidate for bringing in-house. As volume grows, automation becomes the next lever: our overview for high-volume dental laboratories shows the automated Rapid Shape setups for larger production.
Ten Years In: A Conversation with Kelly Fincher
Kelly Fincher | Co-owner, Cosmetic Advantage Dental Laboratory | Lewisville, TX
Kelly Fincher co-owns Cosmetic Advantage Dental Laboratory in Lewisville, TX, and has been printing dental restorations for over ten years. She started in the model room, hated it for all the right reasons, and spent the next decade building the kind of digital operation most labs are still trying to figure out. We sat down with her to ask the questions lab owners are actually thinking about.
How it started
What motivated you to start the transition to digital?
When my husband and I opened our lab in 2009, he was the experienced CDT, and I was new to the field. Years later, I was introduced to 3D printing and immediately saw it as an opportunity to transform our workflow. While that idea may have felt far-fetched in 2015, today it has become a reality.
What should an analog lab focus on first when going digital?
If you are already an established analog lab or clinical practice, then the first thing you need is a scanner and design software, take what you are already doing and digitize it. If you are a new laboratory, I would tell you design software. Your designs are what make you unique, and while AI is up and coming, you need the ability to tweak designs or enhance them. The last steps to take in the digital journey is bringing on a mill or printer. These are the pieces that are easily outsourced in the beginning, but what I think people fail to do is realize when they hit the threshold of being more profitable if they were to bring it in-house.
How did your early experience with scanning and CAD influence the decision to invest in printing?
Our lab has always embraced the ever-changing technology. While we have had plenty of mishaps or less than ideal outcomes, we are always evolving, always looking to see how technology can enhance our offerings or make us more productive with the same great team that we have in place. Bringing on accurate, reliable printing felt like the missing piece we were needing.
The first print workflow
Which workflow did you implement first, and why?
As a crown and bridge lab, models were the obvious starting point for us. It is also the easiest workflow to become efficient in. Other applications can often have nuances with nesting that can be tricky in the beginning, but flat to the plate models have a short learning curve for new users.
How did the combination of scanner, CAD, and 3D printer perform on your first cases?
We found them to be an easy workflow from the beginning. Since we were already accustomed to milling, the printing workflow was even simpler. We had less finishing, no under cuts, and no limitations from milling strategies. It was something we saw a great benefit from almost immediately.
How did you validate accuracy when you were just getting started?
In the very beginning, we just crossed our fingers and hoped it would work. We knew if our customers weren’t happy, we would be hearing about it very quickly. Today, we have the ability to overlay scans to see the accuracy. We also recognized how important the post processing of the 3D printed application is and have a very regimented process to ensure the accuracies are not lost in the post process.
What drives consistent results
What made the biggest difference in achieving consistent, high-quality prints?
As someone who has printed for 10 years and worked with several different systems, good quality resins and printers make the biggest difference. Not all resins are created equal, nor do they work the same from printer to printer. Finding the right resin and printer combo is essential to being able to produce consistent, good quality prints.
Profitability and efficiency
Which 3D printing workflow is the most profitable for dental labs to implement first?
Models, hands down, are the most profitable. Model resins typically are the cheapest of all the applications. On average it costs about one dollar to print a full arch. It is also the most printed item out of all the applications.
Where did you see the most significant time and cost savings after going digital?
With 3D printing, I do not have to wait for a model to be poured, dried, trimmed and scanned to design it. I often have a crown milling or printing at the same time as the model. We have a much shorter turnaround time for our digital workflow because so many things can be done simultaneously rather than in one continuous assembly line that the analog workflow requires. Our labor costs are also a fraction of the time analog requires, and that is where the real savings is found. My technicians can do more and are so much more productive.
Choosing the right equipment
How do you evaluate which scanner, CAD software, and 3D printer combination to choose?
In my early years, my decisions were always price driven. Today, it is support driven because the cheapest doesn’t always mean it won’t cost me more later on. Some of my most costly mistakes as a business owner were because I chose price as my leading decision-making factor. Today, my relationships with my resellers and how they support me play just as large a role in my purchase making decisions as any other factor.
What should a dental lab look for in a 3D printer?
Accuracy is always going to be number one. It’s great if the printer is fast, but if it’s not accurate or reliable, it might as well be trash. I will take a good reliable middle of the road printer all day long because I know exactly what it will produce. Printing anxiety is real. If you can’t rely on it, you don’t have the right printer. That being said, it isn’t always your printer, sometimes it is the resin. Resins are not all created equally. If you are having a lot of failures and are using an open source printer, try another resin.
Is there a specific 3D printing setup you rely on today?
We are in love with our Rapid Shape D50+. It is our main workhorse printer for models which is 70% of what we print. It has automation, meaning we no longer must stop what we are doing to remove a print job and start a new one. We have the ability to load up to 6 jobs at once and walk away, only returning when it works best with our production schedule, not when the printer requires it.
Bringing the team along
How do you help your team adopt digital tools without feeling overwhelmed?
Bringing in one piece of equipment at a time allowed us to calmly embrace technology. We bought our scanner first and outsourced our scans to get back zirconia copings (back when that was a thing!). When we were ready, we then bought our design software and started designing our own and outsourcing the designs.
Finally, we bought a mill and were able to have everything in-house. You can absolutely jump feet first into the CAD CAM world and buy all your equipment at once, but it’s a big hill to climb. Each piece of equipment has its own learning curve. Bringing on one at a time really allowed us to feel comfortable with one area before starting another. We could more accurately pinpoint our issues as we worked through the workflow one step at a time.
What advice do you give technicians who are nervous about making the switch?
I tell them to just start! There will be trial and error, but you will get through it. Having good support is essential and something I can’t stress enough. With today’s resources and social media sites, there are plenty of people out there who were once in your shoes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, seek help, and put yourself out there. I have learned so much from others and am grateful for all the helping hands I’ve had along the way!
Scaling and what comes next
How did you decide which new digital applications to adopt once your first workflow was stable?
We gravitated towards workflows we were already milling and wanted to see how they were with printing. We tested out temporaries and other PMMA applications to see how the workflow was with printing. We loved the transition so much that we stopped milling PMMA altogether and only print these types of applications. From there we started thinking about what else we could transition. Custom trays were still an analog process until we brought on printing. It was a product offering we rarely received but now get requests multiple times a week.
This next answer is one worth sitting with if you outsource any part of your production.
How did you know it was time to invest in more advanced equipment?
My outsource bill! We used to print standard models in house and outsource our implant models because we could never get the DIMs to fit correctly. At the end of the year, while reviewing our numbers, we realized we had a 5 figure outsource bill just on implant models alone. I remember looking at my husband and telling him it was time to invest some money in an accurate printer that could print our implant models. I was ready to ditch the outsource bill and bring the workflow in-house.
Which upcoming technologies will have the strongest impact on dental labs?
AI is so hot right now. I believe it will have the largest impact on our field moving forward. Unfortunately, I think it will push out a lot of lower level technicians and put an even higher demand for highly skilled ones. AI can replace the simple and mundane tasks, but what I think the corporate machines fail to see is that amazing restorations are not widgets. The beauty of dental restorations is really an art and a talent that AI cannot learn.
That combination, starting small, finding good support, and not being afraid to ask for help, is what made the difference for Cosmetic Advantage over ten years. It is the same combination that works for every lab that gets this right.
Which 3D Printing Applications Should a Dental Lab Start With?
Knowing where to start is half the battle in any dental lab 3D printing workflow. Not every application is equal as a first step, and some require more setup, more specialized resins, or more clinical precision than others. Here is a practical breakdown of what each application involves and what to realistically expect.
Dental Lab 3D Printing Applications at a Glance
| Application | Why labs print it | What to check first | Workflow guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental models | Cheapest resin and highest volume: about one dollar in resin per full arch, and 70% of what Cosmetic Advantage prints | Caliper check for Z-axis drift with every new resin and printer combination | How to 3D print dental models |
| Splints and night guards | Typical second application, with uniform wall thickness from the scan data | Internal offset and print orientation | How to 3D print dental splints |
| Surgical guides | High-value application that needs thorough validation | Sleeve tolerances of the specific implant system | Surgical guide 3D printing workflow |
| Custom trays | Fast turnaround makes routine custom trays worth offering | Spacer offset built into the design file | See the Custom Trays section |
| Denture try-ins and bases | Patients evaluate fit and aesthetics before final processing | Try-in resin shade close to the final shade | Denture 3D printing workflow |
| Temporary crowns and bridges | Can replace milled PMMA for provisionals | Contacts and occlusal clearance in the design | How to 3D print crown and bridge |
Dental Models
Start here. Seriously. Models are the standard first step for a reason: the resin is cheap, volume is high in almost every lab, and the workflow is about as straightforward as 3D printing gets. A full arch costs around a dollar in material. The learning curve is short. The return on investment comes fast. If you are trying to decide where to begin and feeling paralyzed by the options, the answer is models.
With digital models, there is no stone, no plaster, and no waiting for things to set. You get files that can be archived and reprinted on demand, with no physical storage eating up your floor space. One practical step before releasing any new resin or printer combination into clinical production: run a caliper check against known reference measurements. Dimensional drift in the Z-axis is the most common accuracy issue with printed models, and it is easy to catch early if you build that check into your validation process.
Splints and Night Guards
Splints are most labs’ second application, and a strong one. The workflow is not complicated, the return is good, and digital splints are genuinely more consistent than vacuum-formed ones, with uniform wall thickness and occlusal contacts that come directly from the scan data. If a case gets lost or damaged, you simply reprint it from the file.
One practical note on design: the internal offset and print orientation matter more than most labs expect. Research shows that splints printed at 0° with a correctly set internal offset require little to no chairside adjustment at delivery. A well-balanced design in CAD is what makes that possible. When the occlusal contacts are properly planned digitally, the splint should fit accurately off the printer, chairside refinement, if needed at all, should be minimal.
Surgical Guides
Surgical guides are at the high-value end of the application range and require more care than models or splints. The design process involves close integration between the CBCT scan, the implant planning software, and the physical guide itself, and accuracy here is non-negotiable because it directly influences what happens in surgery. Validate this workflow thoroughly before any guide reaches the clinic. The upside is significant, and the downside of cutting corners is not worth thinking about.
One thing that catches a lot of labs off guard the first time: sleeve tolerance specifications vary between implant systems. Always verify against the specific system before you print. A guide built to the wrong specification is not a fix. It is a reprint.
Custom Trays
Custom trays are one of those applications most analog labs quietly deprioritize because the analog process takes too long to justify for routine cases. Digital removes that friction entirely. Consistent wall thickness, built-in spacer offset, fast turnaround. Cosmetic Advantage went from almost no custom tray requests to multiple per week after going digital, and they did not do anything special to make that happen. Clinicians noticed the capability and started asking.
One practical note: build the spacer offset into the design file. Do not leave it to be handled with wax at the referring office. A printed spacer is consistent every time. Wax is not.
Digital Dentures (Try-ins and Bases)
Digital dentures change what the try-in appointment can accomplish. When you print the try-in base, patients can evaluate fit and aesthetics before the final restoration is ever processed, which means fewer surprises at delivery and significantly lower remake rates. And when a patient needs a remake down the line, the base design is already on file, so you do not have to start from scratch.
One thing that matters more than people initially expect: the try-in resin color needs to be close to the final shade. If the try-in looks significantly different from what the patient is actually getting, their sign-off at that appointment is not worth much.
Temporary Crowns and Bridges
Temporaries are worth moving to printing sooner than most labs expect. Cosmetic Advantage stopped milling PMMA entirely after making the switch. Less finishing work, no milling constraints, consistent results case after case. For multi-unit provisionals especially, printing saves real time and produces more predictable fit across longer spans.
Verify contacts and occlusal clearance in the design stage, before you ever print. Fixing things in software costs nothing and takes a few minutes. Fixing them at the chair costs everyone’s time and introduces variables that are harder to control.
What’s Next for the Fully Digital Dental Lab?
If the last five years in dental digital production have taught anything, it is that the pace of change keeps accelerating. What feels like a significant capability today will feel standard in three years. The labs that understand where the technology is heading can make smarter decisions right now about what to invest in and what to wait for.
Automated post-processing
Post-processing is still the most manual part of the 3D printing workflow. Washing, curing, and support removal all require technician time that could be spent elsewhere. Systems that automate this stage are already commercially available and improving rapidly. As they mature, the last real bottleneck in the printing workflow shrinks, and your team’s attention gets freed up for higher-value work. If you are evaluating printer setups today, it is worth asking how automated post-processing fits into the picture, because it will become a standard expectation sooner than most labs expect.
Next-generation materials
The material library for dental 3D printing is expanding in two directions: strength and aesthetics. Permanent crown and bridge resins are moving through regulatory clearance and getting closer to clinical viability for long-term use. Multi-layer gradient resins that mimic the translucency of natural teeth are already in use in some markets. Stronger denture base materials with improved impact resistance are also arriving. The practical implication is that the range of final restorations you can produce via printing, rather than outsource to milling, will expand meaningfully over the next two to three years.
Tighter integration between clinic and lab
The friction between how a referring dentist submits a case and how it arrives at the lab is decreasing steadily. Real-time digital case transfer, integrated production tracking, and automated status updates are becoming standard expectations rather than premium features. Labs that have already built their digital infrastructure will absorb these integrations smoothly. Labs that are still working with physical impressions and manual handoffs will face a widening gap, not just in efficiency, but in the kind of clinical relationships they can build.
AI in CAD design
Artificial intelligence is entering dental CAD design, and the conversation around it is more nuanced than the headlines suggest. As Kelly Fincher said in the interview above, AI can replace the simple and mundane tasks, but “amazing restorations are not widgets.”
That distinction matters for how labs should be thinking about team development. AI will handle the routine design tasks. The technicians who understand how to work with AI tools, interpret edge cases, and make clinical judgment calls will become more valuable, not less. Investing in digital skills now is not just about competing today. It is about being the kind of lab that thrives in what comes next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to transition a dental lab to a digital workflow?
There is no fixed timeline, and that is actually the point. A realistic first phase, getting comfortable with scanning, CAD design, and model printing, typically takes three to six months. Adding applications like splints, surgical guides, and custom trays happens progressively from there. Most labs reach a fully functional dental lab digital workflow within one to two years of their first equipment purchase, depending on volume and how much of the team’s time can be dedicated to training. The labs that move fastest are the ones that start with a single application, master it completely, and expand only when that workflow is stable.
What is the most profitable first application for dental lab 3D printing?
Models, by a significant margin. Model resin is the least expensive dental printing material, volume is high in almost every lab type, and the workflow is straightforward enough that most teams get comfortable with it quickly. Printing a full arch model costs approximately one dollar in resin. At any meaningful volume, the return on that first printer investment comes fast. Splints and night guards are a strong second step once the model workflow is stable and validated.
How much does it cost to set up a digital dental lab?
The range is wide depending on applications and equipment level. A basic entry setup with a desktop scanner, CAD software subscription, and an entry-level 3D printer can start under fifteen thousand dollars. A mid-range setup with automated printing and post-processing equipment sits higher. The better question is not the upfront cost but the monthly outsource spend you are replacing. Most labs find the equipment pays for itself within twelve to eighteen months simply by eliminating what they were sending out.
What is the difference between 3D printing and milling in a dental lab?
Both are digital production methods, but they serve different applications. Milling cuts restorations from pre-fabricated blocks of ceramic, zirconia, or PMMA, and is the standard for high-strength permanent restorations like full-contour zirconia crowns and bridges. 3D printing builds parts layer by layer from liquid resin and is better suited for models, splints, surgical guides, custom trays, denture try-ins, and temporaries. The per-unit material cost of printing is typically lower for these applications, and the workflow is faster. Most fully digital labs use both technologies because they complement each other.
How accurate are 3D printed dental models compared to traditional stone models?
3D printed dental models produced on a quality printer with a validated workflow are clinically accurate for all standard crown and bridge, implant, and restorative applications. The accuracy depends on the printer, the resin, and post-processing. Stone models introduce their own variability through impression distortion, pouring technique, and physical handling. Printed models from a validated dental lab digital workflow are dimensionally stable, reproducible from the same file, and free from the manual variability of analog production. The standard validation step is to run a caliper check against known reference measurements when introducing any new resin or printer combination before going into clinical production.
Is 3D printing or milling better for a dental lab just starting to go digital?
For most labs starting out, 3D printing is the better entry point. The equipment cost is lower, the learning curve for high-volume applications like models is shorter, and the return on investment comes faster. Milling delivers superior results for zirconia and lithium disilicate restorations, but those applications require more investment in materials, tooling, and CAD knowledge. A practical approach for new digital labs is to start with a printer for models, splints, and temporaries, and add milling later when the volume and case mix justify it. Labs that already mill can add printing as a complement without replacing their existing workflow.
How does switching to a digital dental lab workflow reduce costs?
The biggest cost reduction is in labor. Digital workflows eliminate the manual steps that consume the most technician time in an analog lab: pouring and trimming models, waxing, investing, casting, and finishing. A technician managing a digital production line can handle significantly more cases per day than one working with analog methods. Material costs also drop for high-volume applications like models, where printed resin costs roughly one dollar per full arch compared to stone material plus labor. The third savings is in outsourcing: labs that bring previously outsourced applications in-house, such as implant models, surgical guides, or custom trays, stop paying the markup and see that difference directly in their margins.
Conclusion
Transitioning from analog to digital dental lab production is not one decision. It is a series of smaller ones, made over months and years, and the quality of those decisions determines how the transition goes. The labs that do it well start with the right application, validate before scaling, build the team’s confidence one workflow at a time, and choose equipment with support in mind, not just specifications.
And the technology is not standing still while you decide. Automated post-processing systems that run unattended are already on the market. Permanent crown and bridge resins are moving through regulatory clearance. The connection between intraoral scanners and lab production systems keeps tightening. What 3D printing cannot do in a dental lab today, it will likely be able to do within a few years. The labs that build solid digital foundations now will absorb those advances far more easily than the ones that are still pouring stone models when they arrive.
Cosmetic Advantage opened in 2009 as a fully analog crown and bridge operation. Today it runs a fully automated digital workflow, built one decision at a time over ten years. Not exceptional resources, not special circumstances. Just the next right decision, made repeatedly, until the lab looks completely different from where it started. That path is available to any lab willing to take the first step.
For labs still at the beginning of that journey, Kelly Fincher’s advice is as direct as it gets: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions, seek help, and put yourself out there. I have learned so much from others and am grateful for all the helping hands I’ve had along the way!”
A complete dental lab digital workflow is not the future. It is the present. The only question left is how soon you want to stop leaving that advantage on the table.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter.
Get exclusive information about the world of 3D printing and our successful work.
English
German
Spanish