Digital Cases: How Dental Offices Can Send Scans to the Lab

Digital impressions are changing the way dental offices and laboratories communicate. Instead of a physical impression packed in a box and mailed across the state, a precise 3D scan arrives in the lab's inbox within minutes of capture. The result is faster turnaround, fewer remakes due to impression distortion, and a workflow that is simply more efficient for everyone involved.

If your office is already scanning — or considering the investment — this guide covers how to prepare, export, and send digital cases to the lab so the transition is smooth from day one.

The Digital Workflow at a Glance

The traditional workflow looks like this: take impression, pour model, ship to lab. The digital workflow compresses that timeline: scan, export, transmit. The lab receives the digital file, imports it into design software, and begins fabrication — often on the same day the scan was taken.

For the dental office, this means fewer materials to stock (no alginate, no stone, no shipping supplies), fewer variables that can compromise accuracy (no tray flex, no material tear, no plaster expansion), and faster communication with the lab when questions arise — the technician is looking at the same scan you captured.

Scanner Compatibility

The good news is that most modern intraoral scanners produce files that dental labs can work with. The key is open file export — specifically, the ability to export scans as STL (Standard Tessellation Language) files.

3Shape TRIOS. Exports open STL files and integrates with 3Shape Communicate, a cloud portal that many labs use for case management. Cases can be sent directly from the TRIOS software to the lab's portal.

Align iTero. Primarily designed for Invisalign workflows but exports open STL for restorative cases. Files are accessible through the MyiTero portal or can be exported locally.

Dentsply Sirona Primescan. The successor to CEREC Omnicam. Exports open STL via Sirona Connect or local export. Also supports the proprietary .dxd format for labs using inLab design software.

Medit i-series. Open-architecture scanners that export STL freely. Medit Link software allows direct connection to lab portals. Increasingly popular among offices that want flexibility without vendor lock-in.

Carestream CS 3800. Exports STL files through the CS Connect portal or local download. Integrates with major lab design platforms.

If your scanner is not listed here, check the manufacturer's documentation for open export capabilities. Any scanner that outputs STL files can work with our lab.

What to Scan

The scan requirements depend on the case type, but here are the general principles:

Upper arch scan. Complete arch capture including all prepared and unprepared teeth, gingival margins, and sufficient palatal or lingual coverage for the technician to assess the arch form.

Lower arch scan. Same coverage as the upper. For partial denture cases, ensure all remaining teeth and the edentulous ridge are captured.

Bite registration scan. Buccal bite scan with the teeth in maximum intercuspation. Most scanners have a dedicated bite scan mode. For complex occlusal cases, your lab may request additional bite positions — ask before scanning.

Preparation-specific captures. For crowns, bridges, and inlays/onlays, ensure the preparation margins are clearly captured. Retraction cord or paste should be placed before scanning to expose subgingival margins. Rescan any areas where the margin is ambiguous.

Preparing a Quality Scan

A digital impression is only as good as the scan itself. A few clinical considerations make the difference between a scan the lab can use and one that needs to be retaken:

• Moisture control. Saliva, blood, and other fluids create scanning artifacts — bright spots, voids, or surface noise. Isolate the scanning area with cotton rolls, suction, and retraction as needed.
• Tissue management. Subgingival margins need to be visible. Use retraction cord, paste, or a diode laser to expose the margin before scanning. If the margin is buried in tissue, the scan will not capture it and the lab cannot design to it.
• Complete coverage. Ensure the entire arch is scanned without gaps. Most scanner software highlights incomplete areas in real time. Fill in any gaps before exporting.
• Steady technique. Move the scanner slowly and steadily along the arch. Rapid movements or lifting the wand away from the teeth and repositioning can create stitching errors in the scan mesh.

Exporting and Sending the Scan

Once the scan is complete and reviewed for accuracy, export it as an STL file (or the lab's preferred format). Most scanner software allows you to package the upper scan, lower scan, and bite registration as a single case file.

Sending options:

• Lab portal. Many labs — including ours — accept cases through a secure portal or email. Upload the STL files along with the digital Rx form specifying the case details.
• Cloud integration. If your scanner connects to a cloud platform (3Shape Communicate, Medit Link, Sirona Connect), you can send directly to the lab from within the scanning software.
• Direct email or file transfer. For labs that accept email submissions, compress the STL files and attach them with the case details. Ensure the file naming includes patient ID or case reference for tracking.

What the Lab Does with Your Scan

When the digital files arrive, the technician imports them into CAD (computer-aided design) software. The scan is evaluated for completeness and accuracy — if anything is missing or unclear, the lab contacts the office before proceeding.

The technician designs the prosthetic digitally: marking margins, setting insertion paths, sculpting anatomy, and verifying occlusal contacts against the opposing scan. The design can be shared with the office for approval before fabrication begins — a level of pre-production review that is not possible with traditional workflows.

From the approved design, the lab either mills the restoration from a solid block (for ceramics and certain polymers) or prints a model for traditional processing (for dentures and other acrylic-based prosthetics). The hybrid approach — digital design with proven fabrication techniques — combines the precision of digital with the material properties of established processing methods.

Common Questions During Transition

Offices transitioning to digital often ask whether they still need to stock impression materials. The answer is yes, at least initially. There will be cases where a physical impression is more appropriate — full denture impressions with border molding, for example — and having materials on hand prevents workflow interruptions during the learning curve.

Training is important. Most scanner manufacturers offer onboarding support, and many labs are happy to walk offices through their preferred digital workflow. The learning curve is shorter than most offices expect — within a few weeks, scanning becomes faster than traditional impressions for most case types.

Start with straightforward cases — single crowns, simple partials — and expand to more complex work as the team builds confidence. The technology is reliable, the accuracy is excellent, and the efficiency gains compound with every case.