Prepared by Choice Dental · Updated
1. Scan
The case starts as a digital file: an intraoral scan (commonly exported as STL or PLY) or a physical impression or model that the laboratory digitises with a desktop scanner. The scan must include the preparation, adjacent teeth, the opposing arch and the bite.
2. CAD design
The technician marks the margin, sets the insertion path and cement space, and designs the anatomy, contacts and occlusion. For implant restorations the design also covers the emergence profile, the screw-access channel and the interface with the implant components.
This is the stage where questions to the dentist are cheapest to resolve: an unclear margin or insufficient space is visible in the design before any material is used.
3. CAM — milling
The design is converted into a toolpath and the restoration is milled from a block or disc. Zirconia is usually milled in a soft, pre-sintered state and oversized to allow for shrinkage during sintering.
4. Sintering and finishing
Zirconia is sintered to reach its final strength and size. The technician then stains, glazes, polishes or layers porcelain as prescribed, and refines contacts and surface texture by hand.
5. Quality control
Before dispatch the restoration is checked against the prescription and the model: seating and margins, contacts, occlusion, shade and surface finish.
6. Delivery
The restoration is returned to the clinic with its documentation. At Choice Dental, eligible restorations are issued with a digital E-Warranty card.
Common causes of digital remakes
- Margins hidden by tissue, blood or saliva in the scan
- Missing or inaccurate bite registration
- Insufficient reduction for the chosen material
- Scan artefacts or missing areas around the preparation
- Incorrect implant system or scan-body information