Master the Digital Dentistry Workflow
Understanding the digital workflows is not just about scanning or printing. Digital Dentistry is a mindset for the whole team to offer a better patient experience that starts as soon as they walk through your door.
Join us to learn from the team that, since 1997, has helped pioneer and create many of today's Digital Dental Workflows alongside leading equipment, software, and materials manufacturers across the industry.
Stop Fighting the Transition to Digital Dentistry
We can help you transition from traditional impressions to digital no matter how complex the treatment. Only take on the parts of the digital workflow that make sense for your practice.
Converting to Digital
Team approach to communication and workflow
- Getting your entire team on board from the front desk, to hygiene, to assistants, and associates. Collaboration and teamwork in the digital environment are the keys to successful implementation and maximizing your ROI.
- Understanding and implementing new roles. Establishing the daily workflow and order of operations for the digital workflow.
- The basics of scanning including learning about the software operation, how, and what to scan.
- Basic troubleshooting – things you can look at to make sure the scan process was successful, and all files merged correctly.
Avoid The Equipment Trap
There are a myriad of manufacturers, public speakers and trainers that are more than willing to fill your practice up with hardware, without getting to know your infrastructure, preferred treatments and staff competencies.
What about equipment obsolescence?
How much are you going to lose on expiring consumables?
We will work with your team to implement the efficiencies and exceptional patient experiences Digital Dentistry can provide.
The 3D DDS Training Continuum
Continuing Education for the Digital Dental Practice
Several course areas are delivered in both Basic and Advanced tiers (for example, Digital Dentures). Basic tiers cover core, high-frequency workflows; Advanced tiers address complex, implant-supported, and high-value scenarios. The continuum is designed to be taken in sequence, though experienced practitioners may enter at the level appropriate to their existing competency.
Digital Practice
& Workflow Foundation
Target Audience: Doctors, Assistants, and Front Office Staff
Focus: Establish the digital infrastructure, intraoral scanning fundamentals, setting patient expectations, and team-based workflows that every subsequent course builds on. This is the prerequisite entry point for the entire continuum and a successful integration of digital dentistry.
Doctor Core Skills:
- Intraoral scanning fundamentals: capturing full-arch, quadrant, and single-tooth scans with proper retraction and isolation.
- Photos and or face scanning – when to use and why
- Recognizing scan quality and data integrity — distinguishing a clinically usable scan from one that will require a retake.
- Understanding digital file types (STL, PLY, OBJ) and exactly what data the laboratory needs to deliver a successful outcome.
- Digital case communication: conveying prescription details, shade, design intent, and occlusal requirements in a digital format.
Staff Core Skills:
- Patient scheduling and time-blocking for digital appointments vs. conventional impressions.
- Photos and or face scanning
- Scan file management: consistent naming conventions, how and where to save with version control, and case submission through the 3D DDS portal.
- Scanner setup, calibration, and daily maintenance; infection-control protocols for digital equipment.
- Front-office case tracking, digital patient communications, and setting delivery expectations.
Implementation & ROI: Phased adoption strategy to manage upfront challenges with communication and patient interactions. Productivity gains from fewer remakes and higher case acceptance driven by a modern, state-of-the-art patient experience. Establishes the baseline digital competency the whole team relies on and provides the foundation for more advanced cases.
Crown & Bridge
Conformative Digital Workflows
Target Audience: Doctors and Assistants (Front Office for scheduling context)
Focus: Conformative dentistry: capturing the data that lets the lab fabricate restorations that fit the existing occlusion without the need for adjustment. Covers things like what to scan, how to capture a reliable bite, and tissue management for clean margins.
Doctor Core Skills:
- Knowing what to scan: identifying the critical data points — prep, margins, antagonists, and adjacent contact areas — that determine success.
- Pre-Op scans to identify problems, copy, or understand functional issues that may have caused the tooth failure to avoid problems.
- Typical digital impression pitfalls (poor margin capture, truncated arches, soft-tissue drag) and how to avoid them.
- Capturing a correct bite registration digitally and verifying scan alignment before submission.
- Tissue management for digital impressions: when to pack cord, tips to control bleeding and saliva, and the decision of scan-now vs. wait for tissue healing.
Staff Core Skills:
- Prepping the patient and operatory for an efficient digital scan sequence.
- Verifying scan completeness against a checklist before releasing the case to the lab.
- Managing multiple concurrent cases and matching scans to the correct prescription.
Implementation & ROI: Lower remake rates and fewer seat-time adjustments directly reduce lab and chairside costs. Faster, more predictable single-visit prep-to-temp workflows free up operatory time. Cleaner margins mean fewer adjustments at delivery, improving both turnaround and patient satisfaction.
Crown & Bridge
Full Arch and Full Mouth Reconstructions
Target Audience: Doctors and Assistants (Front Office for scheduling context)
Focus: Advanced digital workflows for full arch and full mouth reconstruction cases, with emphasis on comprehensive digital records including face scanning, Smile design for restorative planning, patient consultations and selling the case, provisional validation, and interdisciplinary communication. This course extends the same foundational format used in the basic crown and bridges course into more complex occlusal, esthetic, and functional treatments as well as elective treatment scenarios purely for esthetics.
Doctor Core Skills:
- Gathering complete digital records: pre-op scans, full arch scans, facial photos, face scans when indicated, bite records, and additional reference records needed for larger rehabilitative cases.
- Using digital technology during patient consultation to customize design to the patient’s liking in real time so you sell more treatment
- Managing restorative space, occlusal scheme, vertical dimension, esthetic goals, and functional considerations before treatment begins.
- Using provisional or prototype restorations to validate esthetics, phonetics, function, and patient acceptance before finalization.
- Recognizing common digital workflow failures in complex cases, including incomplete records, poor tissue management, inaccurate bite capture, , and communication gaps between doctor, lab, patient and the team.
- Coordinating elective treatment workflows for larger esthetic cases where smile design, material selection, and functional planning must all align.
Staff Core Skills:
- Preparing patients, operatories, and components for advanced digital capture appointments involving full arch and reconstruction records.
- Assisting with workflow, component organization, and verification steps before records are submitted.
- Managing digital case organization, file naming, checklist verification, and communication across multiple stages of complex treatment.
- Coordinating appointments for planning, physical or virtual try-in, verification, and final delivery in longer multi-visit restorative sequences.
- Supporting documentation of photos, scans, provisional feedback, and laboratory communication so revisions are controlled and traceable.
Implementation & ROI: Advanced digital crown and bridge workflows improve predictability in the highest-value restorative cases while reducing avoidable remakes, delivery complications, and chairside adjustment time. Better record capture and more structured communication improve laboratory efficiency, case acceptance, and patient confidence in complex elective and reconstructive treatment. A repeatable protocol for full arch and full mouth reconstruction supports scalable growth in premium restorative services.
Implant-Supported Full Arch
Rehabilitation & All-on-X
Target Audience: Doctors and Assistants (Front Office for scheduling context)
Focus: Advanced digital workflows for implant-supported full arch and All-on-X rehabilitation, with emphasis on complete digital records, prosthetically driven planning, patient consultation and case acceptance, provisional validation, and interdisciplinary communication between the surgical, restorative, and laboratory teams.
Doctor Core Skills:
- Gathering complete digital records: pre-op scans when applicable, edentulous or terminal dentition records, facial photos, face scans when indicated, CBCT imaging, bite relationship records, and additional reference records needed for full arch implant rehabilitation.
- Using digital technology during patient consultation to improve patient understanding, confidence, and case acceptance through real-time visualization of treatment options, smile design, and expected restorative outcomes.
- Managing restorative space, implant position considerations, occlusal scheme, vertical dimension, esthetic goals, lip support, phonetics, and functional requirements before treatment begins.
- Using photogrammetry or advanced implant-level record capture when indicated for larger multi-unit and full-arch cases where accuracy and passive fit are critical.
- Using provisional restorations to validate esthetics, phonetics, function, hygiene access, and patient acceptance before finalization of the definitive prosthesis.
- Recognizing common digital workflow failures in complex implant cases, including incomplete records, inaccurate jaw relation capture, soft tissue distortion, component misidentification, poor verification, and communication gaps between doctor, surgeon, lab, patient, and team.
- Coordinating elective and reconstructive implant workflows where surgical planning, restorative design, material selection, and functional execution must align across multiple appointments and providers.
Staff Core Skills:
- Preparing patients, operatories, and implant components for advanced digital treatment appointments involving full arch implant records, conversion workflows, verification appointments, and restorative delivery.
- Assisting with workflow, component organization, scan body verification, and checklist confirmation before records are submitted.
- Managing digital case organization, file naming, checklist verification, and communication across the planning, surgical, provisional, verification, and final delivery phases of treatment.
- Coordinating appointments for consultation, records, surgery, immediate provisional delivery, healing follow-up, verification, try-in, and final prosthesis delivery.
- Organizing and collecting supporting documentation of photos, scans, provisional feedback, component usage, and laboratory communication so revisions remain controlled and traceable throughout treatment.
Implementation & ROI:
Advanced digital workflows for implant-supported full arch and All-on-X rehabilitation improve predictability in high-value implant treatment while reducing avoidable remakes, prosthetic complications, delivery inefficiencies, and chairside adjustment time. Better record capture, verification protocols, and structured communication improve laboratory efficiency, case acceptance, and patient confidence in complex surgical-restorative treatment. A repeatable protocol for full arch implant rehabilitation supports scalable growth in premium implant services and happy patient’s with more consistent treatment outcomes in only a few visits.
Restorative Driven Implant Treatment
Implant Planning & Smile Design
Target Audience: Doctors and Assistants (Front Office for scheduling context)
Focus: Comprehensive digital workflows for implant planning and smile design, with emphasis on complete digital records, prosthetically driven treatment planning, custom healing strategies, provisionalization, surgical guide communication, and patient acceptance. This course is designed for restorative teams who want to improve case planning, interdisciplinary coordination, and predictability in implant cases ranging from single units to larger esthetic, functional, and full-arch rehabilitations.
Doctor Core Skills:
- Gathering complete digital records: intraoral scans, facial photos, face scans when indicated, CBCT imaging, bite records, and additional reference records needed to support implant planning and smile design.
- Applying smile design principles to implant restorative cases so tooth position, gingival display, lip dynamics, phonetics, and facial harmony are considered during treatment planning and patient presentation.
- Improving patient communication and case acceptance by using digital records, smile design, and other visual planning tools to get instant patient feedback on esthetics, treatment choices, sequencing, limitations, and to visualize expected treatment outcomes.
- Planning and using custom healing abutments to shape the tissue, support emergence profile development, and improve restorative contour management before definitive treatment.
- Understanding how to use provisional phase for soft tissue contouring influences soft tissue development and how interim restorations can serve as the blueprint for the final prosthesis to validate esthetics, phonetics, function, tissue response and hygiene access.
- Understanding when bone reduction guides, surgical guides, and restorative planning must work together so implant placement, prosthetic space, and provisional execution remain aligned.
- Selecting appropriate materials and workflows for interim and definitive restorative phases based on case complexity, esthetic goals, functional demands and health concerns that are contraindications.
- Recognizing common planning failures, including incomplete records, poor restorative space evaluation, inadequate tissue planning, unrealistic esthetic expectations, provisional shortcuts, and communication breakdowns between restorative doctor, surgeon, lab, and patient.
Staff Core Skills:
- Preparing patients, operatories, and records for implant planning and smile design appointments involving scans, face scans, photographs, CBCT, bite records, and additional patient references.
- Assisting with digital case organization, file naming, checklist verification, and communication so all planning records are complete before surgeon or laboratory review begins.
- Supporting patient consultations by organizing visual records, smile design references, mock-up materials, and provisional feedback so treatment presentations are clearer and more effective.
- Coordinating appointments and treatment sequencing for records, planning, surgical consultation, provisional delivery, tissue evaluation, revision review, and final restorative treatment in longer implant sequences.
- Managing documentation related to custom healing abutments, provisionals, photogrammetry files, guide planning, and laboratory communication so revisions are controlled and traceable throughout treatment.
- Supporting communication protocols between restorative office, surgeon, and laboratory before guide approval, surgical execution, and provisional fabrication so the team remains aligned at each phase.
Implementation & ROI:
A structured digital workflow for implant planning and smile design improves predictability before surgery begins by aligning restorative goals, esthetic expectations, tissue management, and interdisciplinary communication earlier in the process. Better planning and more intentional use of custom healing strategies, photogrammetry when indicated, and provisional phases can reduce avoidable remakes, decrease chairside corrections, and improve patient confidence in complex implant treatment. A repeatable protocol for planning, smile design, and provisional validation supports scalable growth in premium implant restorative services while helping restorative teams manage referred surgical cases more effectively.
Digital Dentures
.
Target Audience: Doctors and Experienced Assistants
Focus: Single arch or 2 arch immediate dentures, implant-supported overdentures, and hybrid conversion cases where precision and prosthetic planning are critical.
Doctor Core Skills:
- Immediate Dentures:
- Incorporating Smile Design in your Patient Consultation and Virtual Try-in.
- What to do on the day of delivery – Extractions, prepare sites for the future, and insert the immediate
- Follow up Care
- Implant overdenture:
- locator vs bar with attachments
- Parts Selection
- taking digital records: scan body placement, bite registration, photos, face scanning
- try in process
- Delivery and adjustment if needed
- Managing complex cases where vertical dimension, occlusion, and aesthetics all require re-establishment.
- Coordinating digital records with CBCT and surgical guides for fully guided prosthetic-driven workflows.
- Troubleshooting fit and retention issues on implant-borne removable prosthetics.
Staff Core Skills:
- Managing the extended appointment sequence and multi-visit coordination for complex cases.
- Handling scan bodies, attachments, and try-in prostheses at the chair.
- Documentation and lab coordination for staged, multi-component deliveries.
Implementation & ROI: Higher-value case acceptance through confident treatment of complex edentulous and implant cases. Reduced remakes and fewer adjustment visits on high-ticket prosthetics protect profitability. Digital overdenture workflows shorten turnaround and improve long-term retention, supporting referral and re-case revenue.
Removable Partial Dentures
(Basic)
Target Audience: Doctors and Assistants
Focus: Digital RPD workflow from surveying and path-of-insertion planning through final prosthesis delivery, with attention to materials and attachment selection for long-term success.
Doctor Core Skills:
- Intraoral scanning and digital design planning for RPD frameworks.
- Material Selection and design considerations including rests, clasps, attachments, connectors, tooth retention and modification areas that need preparation
- Coordinating path of insertion with tooth preparation and guiding planes.
- Intraoral scanning and digital records for the partial denture
- Materials selection for long-term success: framework alloys, acrylics, and teeth matched to the clinical situation.
- Attachments and combination cases: planning and prescribing attachment-retained RPDs correctly.
Staff Core Skills:
- Scheduling the RPD records, framework try-in, and delivery sequence.
- Assisting with intraoral scanning of partially edentulous arches and existing dentition.
- Coordinating try-in visits and documenting fit and occlusal feedback.
Implementation & ROI: Digital surveying and design reduce framework remakes and lab back-and-forth. Better path-of-insertion planning means fewer adjustments at delivery. Stronger materials and attachment planning extend prosthesis lifespan, improving patient outcomes and supporting higher-margin combination cases.
Sleep Apnea
Digital Oral Appliance Therapy
Target Audience: Doctors and Trained Staff
Focus: End-to-end digital workflow for oral appliance therapy: identifying candidates, establishing the starting jaw position, designing to parameters, and managing titration and long-term follow-up with verification.
Doctor Core Skills:
- Intraoral scanning combined with sleep study review to identify appropriate candidates for oral appliance therapy.
- Diagnosis and determination of the starting jaw (protrusive) position for appliance fabrication.
- Design objectives and parameters: retention, advancement range, lateral movement, and patient comfort.
- Titration, adjustments, and the initial follow-up routine to dial in effective treatment.
- Second sleep study for objective verification of treatment efficacy.
- Long-term follow-up and maintenance of the appliance and the occlusion.
Staff Core Skills:
- Scheduling the records, delivery, titration, and follow-up sequence including the verification sleep study.
- Assisting with protrusive bite capture and appliance fit checks.
- Coordinating with sleep physicians and patients for study timing and documentation.
Implementation & ROI: Opens a recurring-revenue service line with strong patient demand and relatively low overhead once the workflow is established. Digital records reduce appliance remakes, and a structured titration-and-verification protocol improves outcomes and referrals. Long-term maintenance visits create ongoing patient touchpoints.
Smile Design, Treatment Planning
Full-Arch Case Marketing
Target Audience: Doctors, Treatment Coordinators, and Front Office
Focus: Data-driven smile design and full-arch treatment planning, combined with the patient-consultation and marketing framework needed to convert full-arch cases — the highest-value work in the practice.
Doctor Core Skills:
- Comprehensive data collection: intraoral scans, CBCT, photography, and video assembled into a complete digital patient record.
- Analysis, digital smile design, and treatment planning for full-arch rehabilitation.
- Provisional or trial prosthesis workflow to validate aesthetics and function before final delivery.
- Case management and delivery of the final full-arch prosthesis.
Staff Core Skills:
- Coordinating multi-modality data collection appointments.
- Supporting the patient consultation: presenting digital smile design and treatment plan.
- Marketing full-arch cases: case presentation materials, patient education, and follow-up that drives conversion.
Implementation & ROI: Full-arch cases represent the highest per-case revenue in a restorative practice; structured planning and a repeatable consultation process directly increase case acceptance. Digital smile design shortens planning time and reduces remakes. A documented marketing and consultation framework turns single cases into a predictable full-arch pipeline.
CONTACT US
Your transition from traditional impressions to digital, no matter how complex the treatment, starts here.
