DENTAL CAD DESIGN

Meet your instructor, explore the course structure, and get an overview of assignments and the final project. Set yourself up for success by understanding what to expect and how to make the most of the course.

• Meet your instructor
• Course structure & learning objectives
• Assignments & final project overview

Discover the essentials of digital dentistry and how it transforms restorative workflows. Review dental anatomy relevant to CAD/CAM, key terminology, and compare analogue vs. digital approaches through a practical case study.

• Dental anatomy for CAD/CAM design
• Key terminology
• Analogue to digital: Benefits & limitations
• Digital workflow
• Case study: Analogue vs. digital workflow

Get an overview of leading CAD/CAM software and digital ecosystems. Learn platform differences, accessibility options, and how to choose the right tools for your cases.

• 3Shape, ExoCad, CoDiagnostiX
• Licensing, demo versions, & accessibility options
• Workflows across platforms
• Choosing a suitable case

Dive into the core of CAD/CAM software. Learn to navigate interfaces, set up new cases, and explore key design tools. Follow along with a demo to see practical applications in action.

• Software interface
• Setting up a new case/project
• Instruments and design modules
• Saving, exporting, & managing project files
• Demo: Working with basic forms: anatomy libraries, wax-up templates, freeform tools

Master the capture and preparation of digital scans. Understand scanner types, file interoperability, and common scanning errors. See how to import, clean, and prepare scan data for design.

• Intraoral vs. lab scanners
• File types & interoperability
• Common errors in scanning
• In-Tool Demo: Importing and cleaning intraoral scans

Learn step-by-step workflows for designing crowns and veneers, focusing on morphology, aesthetics, and material considerations. Apply your knowledge in a practical workshop.

• Posterior crown design
• Veneer morphology & aesthetic
• Material-driven design
• AI-supported margin detection
• Workshop: Analysing a fictional case and defining design parameters

Assignment #1: Design one of each restoration

Explore digital strategies for multi-unit restorations. Learn pontic and connector design while balancing aesthetics and function. Follow a demo to see a 3-unit bridge created in software.

• 3-unit bridges design
• Pontic design, connectors, & load distribution
• Functionality vs. aesthetics
• In-Tool Demo: Designing a 3-unit bridge in CAD software

Understand digital workflows for implant restorations and guided surgery. Learn abutment design, emergence profiles, full-arch planning, and effective lab-surgeon communication through a case study.

• Custom abutment design workflows
• Emergence profile & implant libraries
• Full-arch All-on-X workflows
• Surgeon–lab communication
• Case study: Guided surgery planning

Assignment #2: Design wax up, custom abutment, 1 full arch surgical guide

Learn the purpose and process of digital wax-ups and AI-assisted smile design. Align functional and aesthetic outcomes, with a live demo demonstrating a complete digital wax-up.

• Diagnostic wax-ups in treatment planning
• AI-based smile design
• Functional and aesthetic outcomes
• In-Tool Demo: Creating a digital wax-up with AI smile simulation

Focus on occlusion, material selection, and digital workflows for splints and nightguards. Learn practical fabrication and delivery considerations.

• Occlusal considerations
• Material choices for splints/nightguards
• Step-by-step digital workflow
• Practical issues in fabrication and delivery

Assignment #3: Design a splint

Understand how material properties influence your designs. Learn to adjust parameters for different ceramics and post-processing protocols for optimal results.

• Zirconia, lithium disilicate, hybrid ceramics
• Minimum thickness, translucency, wear
• Adjusting design parameters
• Post-processing and finishing protocols

Explore digital manufacturing with milling strategies. Learn nesting, toolpath generation, and sintering workflows. Examine a case study to optimise lab productivity.

• Nesting for crowns, bridges, & splints
• Toolpath generation & common errors
• Sintering workflows for zirconia
• Case study: Lab productivity optimisation

Discover 3D printing in dentistry. Learn printing strategies, support structures, curing, and finishing. Follow a demo preparing a splint for additive manufacturing.

• 3D printing technologies
• Printing strategies: Temporary restorations & guides
• Support structures, curing, & finishing
• In-Tool Demo: Preparing a splint for 3D printing with nesting software

Assignment #4: Nest a restoration for milling and a model for printing

Learn to verify digital designs and maintain quality. Understand fit simulation, industry standards, and develop a QA checklist for your work.

• Fit simulation & verification
• ISO/EN standards in digital dentistry
• QA checklist for submitted designs

Master cloud-based collaboration and secure communication with clinicians and labs. Apply knowledge in a workshop designing a multidisciplinary cloud workflow.

• Remote sharing of digital cases
• HIPAA/GDPR compliance & patient confidentiality
• Multi-disciplinary collaboration
• Workshop: Designing a cloud workflow for a complex case

Assignment #5: Design a QA checklist for Technicians and QA manager

Assignment #6: Digital Restorative Case Portfolio

Learn to organise, store, and manage your digital cases efficiently. Develop version control strategies, build reusable libraries, and discover practical tips to scale digital workflows in labs and clinics.

• Setting up case libraries & archives
• Version control strategies
• Efficiency in repeatable workflows
• Practical tips for scaling digital operations

Stay ahead with the latest developments in dental CAD/CAM technology. Explore AI-driven design automation, new intraoral scanner integrations, and adoption challenges in clinical and lab settings.

• AI-driven design suggestions & automation
• Intraoral scanner integration updates
• Adoption challenges in labs and clinics

Understand the financial and operational benefits of CAD/CAM adoption. Evaluate ROI, cost considerations, and service positioning, then apply your insights in a practical workshop.

• ROI for dentists and labs
• Positioning services
• Cost considerations
• Workshop: Designing a digital adoption strategy for a lab or clinic

Prepare to take your skills into the professional world. Explore career pathways, understand market trends, and learn how to build a compelling digital design portfolio. Discover ways to network and engage with the wider dental design community.

• Career pathways & roles
• Job market & industry trends
• Digital design portfolio
• Associations, events, & online communities