Back to DPA Annual Conference 2026 - Shifting Perception
Session
The Reality of the Digital Dentistry Workflow
Fri, 23 Oct 2026 at 10:45
- 13:00
About this session
ABSTRACT
A digital workflow is a process completed electronically using computers and
software—and often automation—rather than manually. A digital dentistry workflow is
an integrated clinical and laboratory process that uses digital data acquisition,
computer-aided design (CAD), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to plan and
produce dental restorations and appliances. The adoption of digital systems is based
at connecting imaging, planning, and fabrication into a unified process - AUTOMATION AUTOMATION - REDUCTION OF HUMAN INVOLVEMENT.
It is becoming the standard of care for practices that want to deliver faster, more
predictable, and more profitable outcomes. Knowing where to start, and in what order,
makes the difference between a practice that thrives with digital tools and one that
struggles to justify the investment.
Intraoral Scanning: The Entry Point for Every Digital Practice
Jaw Tracking: Moving Beyond the Static Bite Record
The intraoral scanner is step one. Where the digital workflow becomes genuinely
transformative is when scan data is merged with facial scan and CBCT data to create
a virtual patient. The integration itself is what unlocks the clinical value and on the
other hand AI-based diagnostic tools assist clinicians by analyzing images and
drawing attention to areas that warrant further review. Clinicians must interpret AI-
generated alerts critically, distinguish between signal and noise, and integrate findings
into structured diagnostic review. AI supports judgment — it does not replace it. In the
hands-on session, we will be exploring how a Panda scanner integrates all these data
to prepare for CAD.
This session is designed at giving the delegates the basic knowledge of the digital
workflow with special attention based on 3D printing, while touching on milling as a
production process. The anatomy of the printer will also form part of this presentation
placing special emphasis on the anatomy of a 3D printer, how it communicates with
the CAD and the scanner.
The foundational process of modern dental 3D printing involves four specific steps:
1. Capture:
2. Design
3. Print
4. Post-Process and follow-up
To have a 3D printer it's really not as difficult as you think that it is. As a clinician you
have to know the steps from the initial data capture to the finished product. Knowing
that production is depended on a CAD system is key. We will touch on the anatomy of
a printer briefly then design a prosthesis and print it using Phrosen CS+ dental printer
with post processing covered in detail.
Finally, a guide on how to select a printer will be discussed. It will be at this point where
3D printing and milling questions will be answered.
A digital workflow is a process completed electronically using computers and
software—and often automation—rather than manually. A digital dentistry workflow is
an integrated clinical and laboratory process that uses digital data acquisition,
computer-aided design (CAD), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to plan and
produce dental restorations and appliances. The adoption of digital systems is based
at connecting imaging, planning, and fabrication into a unified process - AUTOMATION AUTOMATION - REDUCTION OF HUMAN INVOLVEMENT.
It is becoming the standard of care for practices that want to deliver faster, more
predictable, and more profitable outcomes. Knowing where to start, and in what order,
makes the difference between a practice that thrives with digital tools and one that
struggles to justify the investment.
Intraoral Scanning: The Entry Point for Every Digital Practice
Jaw Tracking: Moving Beyond the Static Bite Record
The intraoral scanner is step one. Where the digital workflow becomes genuinely
transformative is when scan data is merged with facial scan and CBCT data to create
a virtual patient. The integration itself is what unlocks the clinical value and on the
other hand AI-based diagnostic tools assist clinicians by analyzing images and
drawing attention to areas that warrant further review. Clinicians must interpret AI-
generated alerts critically, distinguish between signal and noise, and integrate findings
into structured diagnostic review. AI supports judgment — it does not replace it. In the
hands-on session, we will be exploring how a Panda scanner integrates all these data
to prepare for CAD.
This session is designed at giving the delegates the basic knowledge of the digital
workflow with special attention based on 3D printing, while touching on milling as a
production process. The anatomy of the printer will also form part of this presentation
placing special emphasis on the anatomy of a 3D printer, how it communicates with
the CAD and the scanner.
The foundational process of modern dental 3D printing involves four specific steps:
1. Capture:
2. Design
3. Print
4. Post-Process and follow-up
To have a 3D printer it's really not as difficult as you think that it is. As a clinician you
have to know the steps from the initial data capture to the finished product. Knowing
that production is depended on a CAD system is key. We will touch on the anatomy of
a printer briefly then design a prosthesis and print it using Phrosen CS+ dental printer
with post processing covered in detail.
Finally, a guide on how to select a printer will be discussed. It will be at this point where
3D printing and milling questions will be answered.
