A Digital Workflow That's Easy, Fast, and Accurate
The TRIOS digital CAD/CAM workflow ensures smooth and simple collaboration with the lab for every case—from straightforward crowns and bridges to complex implant restorations and orthodontic treatment proposals
To send to the lab, or not to? While chairside CAD/CAM workflows allow dental professionals to keep more of thei
r crown and bridgework in-house, the lab is still an integral part of the overall restorative workflow—especially when it comes to fabricating complex implant restorations, dental appliances like splints and night guards, or treating cases in the esthetic zone.
Whether you're sending all fabrications or just select cases to the lab, the most efficient and accurate treatment will be achieved with a digital workflow that's designed for smooth communication with the lab every step of the way.
“When I was using traditional impressions, my lab scripts were very lengthy and detailed,” said Dr. Franklin Shull, who now captures digital impressions using a 3Shape TRIOS intraoral scanner. “I was sending solid models back and forth and paying for lots of shipping because my lab was not local. Now, everything is done within the TRIOS software.”
SCAN, DESIGN, & SEND:
THE TRIOS DIGITAL WORKFLOW
TRIOS users can search and select any 3Shape Ready lab and easily share scans and images, approve designs, discuss case details, and more. The digital workflow is simple:
Scan—Use your TRIOS scanner to create a 3D model of your patient's dentition- Find a Lab—Search a robust list of 3Shape Ready labs from within your TRIOS software to and a lab partner that meets your specific needs
- Send Case—Share the scan and a full description of the case with the lab using 3Shape Communicate
- Discuss—The 3Shape Ready lab can easily contact you with questions or to discuss the case in more detail
- Approve the Design—Review and approve the lab’s design within 3Shape Communicate
- Get Results—Receive the fabricated restoration from the lab and begin treatment
“No longer is it a situation where we're just looking at something on paper—we’re creating the beginnings of a design that the patient actually helped with. It takes communication to another level.”
- Franklin Shull, DMD
Next-Level Communication
With the TRIOS digital CAD/CAM workflow, sending a case to the lab is as simple as capturing a scan, choosing a 3Shape Ready lab from within the software, and sending the scan, photos, and case description to your lab of choice through the 3Shape Communicate portal. With over 20,000 3Shape Ready labs to choose from, there is a lab partner to meet the needs of virtually every clinical scenario. “I can take individual photos with my TRIOS scanner and send those along with the case, or I can work with the patient to create their ideal smile within the TRIOS Smile Design software. Then, I can send that smile simulation to the lab as the prescription,” said Dr. Shull. “No longer is it a situation where we're just looking at something on paper—we’re creating the beginnings of a design that the patient actually helped with. It takes communication to another level.” After sending the case, Dr. Shull stays connected with the lab, accessing the 3Shape Communicate portal via an app on his smartphone or desktop computer. “It allows me to see and approve steps along the way during the lab process, or just check and see when a case will be delivered. It gives you as much information as you need. For some cases, you may use it a lot, and for other cases, you might just want to make sure the restoration will be delivered on time,” he said. "Most scanners offer some sort of connectivity to your lab partners, but it’s not nearly at the level that 3Shape provides.”
Streamlining through Software
For Dr. Shull, who lectures to clinicians around the world on esthetic dentistry, what really sets TRIOS apart in the digital scanning space is built-in software ser-vices like TRIOS Smile Design, which allows him to create a quick photorealistic simulation of a patient’s ideal smile. Another unique tool is TRIOS Patient Specific Motion, which captures a patient’s functional movements in real-time for more accurately fitting restorations. When it comes to his in-house 3D-print-ing workflow, Dr. Shull can design splints, models, and surgical guides within 3Shape Splint Studio and then easily export the files right into his 3D printing software. “In years past, I used 3D printers that required third-party software to transfer the files and it was quite cumbersome. Now, it’s very, very simple and it’s all done inside the 3Shape software,” he said.
The Bottom Line
A rapidly growing number of dental professionals now appreciate the benefits of moving from traditional to digital impression-taking—no more goopy, uncomfortable material in patients’ mouths, no need to disinfect the physical impression, and zero worry about cross-contamination be-tween the office and the lab, for example. “It saves you cost, as well,” added Dr. Shull. “If you miss a physical impression, there’s a big cost to retaking a second impression. If you miss a scan, you can just rescan that area. And during COVID-19 when patients are particular about how much they're spending, I can mill crowns in-house out of different materials and make it a little more cost-effective.”
SOFTWARE THAT GOES BEYOND THE SCAN
Dr. Shull enjoys using a variety of TRIOS software applications to design restorations and appliances, enhance diagnostics,
and educate patients. Here are a few of his favorite tools:
Smile Design—Take a photo of the patient, design the new smile, and send the patient the photorealistic simulation via the 3Shape mobile app
Patient Monitoring—Measure geometric changes to each tooth to identify tooth wear, grinding, chipping, and other volumetric changes
Patient Specific Motion—Send video output of a patient’s mandibular movements to the lab for a better-fitting restoration with fewer postop adjustments
3Shape Splint Studio—Design and produce a wide range of occlusal splints in a fully guided workflow, and then send files directly to the lab or in-house 3D printer
