SIX PARTS OF THE WORKFLOW
Technology with a practical purpose
Digital dentistry connects information about your mouth with planning and selected laboratory work. Each tool has a different role. Your dentist recommends the records and treatment steps that are appropriate for you, and explains what they can and cannot tell us.
01
In-house dental laboratory
Our in-house laboratory supports selected parts of the restorative workflow within the practice. Having these stages close to the clinical team can help with communication about a planned restoration and the details being reviewed.
The work involved depends on your treatment. Your team can explain which stages will take place here and which may involve an external laboratory or specialist service. External support remains appropriate for some work; an in-house laboratory does not mean that every restoration, appliance or component is made entirely on site.
02
Digital dental design
Dental design software brings digital records into a workspace where suitable restorations can be planned. It helps the team review a proposed design and communicate about its shape and relationship to your teeth.
A design on a screen is a planning tool. It is not a completed restoration or a guarantee of the final appearance, comfort or fit. Your dentist remains responsible for clinical decisions, and the design may need to change as treatment progresses.
03
Milling technology
Milling shapes a restoration from a suitable material by following a digital design. It is one manufacturing step within a wider process that includes planning, checking and clinical fitting.
Whether an item can be milled in-house depends on the proposed treatment, material and clinical requirements. Your team will explain the arrangements for your care. Milling does not mean that dental implants themselves are manufactured here, or that every crown, bridge or full-arch restoration can be completed in one visit.
04
3D printing
A 3D printer builds a physical object layer by layer from a digital design. In dentistry, the intended use determines the suitable printing process, material and finishing steps.
Our printer forms part of selected laboratory work. Ask your team whether printing is relevant to your treatment and what any printed item will be used for. Not every printed object is suitable for use in the mouth. Having a printer does not mean that every final restoration or an Invisalign aligner is manufactured at the practice.
05
3D intraoral scanning
An intraoral scanner captures a digital record of visible tooth and gum surfaces using an optical scan. These records may support treatment planning, communication and suitable restorative work.
This is different from an X-ray: a surface scan does not show the bone beneath your gums. It also does not replace a clinical examination, and conventional impressions may still be needed in some situations. Your dentist will explain which records are suitable and how they contribute to your care.
06
3D dental X-ray imaging
Three-dimensional dental X-ray imaging provides information about structures beneath the visible surfaces of your teeth and gums. It may help answer specific clinical questions, including in certain implant-planning situations.
Unlike an optical intraoral scan, this imaging involves X-rays. Your dentist considers the clinical need and the benefits and risks before recommending it; it is not a routine scan for every patient. Imaging is one part of assessment and does not guarantee suitability for implants or remove the need for referral when appropriate.
