Choosing an digital intraoral scanner these days can be quite a daunting task. When I reached out to CAD-Ray, as was recommended by many colleagues, I was connected to Frank DeLuca, and he made my decision-making process very simple. Upon receiving...read moreChoosing an digital intraoral scanner these days can be quite a daunting task. When I reached out to CAD-Ray, as was recommended by many colleagues, I was connected to Frank DeLuca, and he made my decision-making process very simple. Upon receiving my 3shape Trios 4 scanner, Frank and the entire tech support team/customer service were very helpful every step of the way. Frank makes himself available when he can in order to address all of the questions I have regarding the digital workflow. I highly recommend CAD-Ray. It will make your transition to digital scanning a positive experience.read less - 1/24/2023
H C
I got my 3Dshape scanner, great support , my training with Destany was excellent. Great team!! - 2/15/2024
Linsay N Brandon Jarvis
As a lab we see a lot of scans. Great quality and easy to create great restorations from the Medit offices that send us work.- Jarvis dental lab - 1/29/2019
Peipei Yu
I purchased a Medit scanner in August and I am very happy with the scanner. I was trained on an Omnicam in dental school and used Omnicam for 4 years in my associateship. The speed and quality of the Medit scanner is comparable to a CEREC scanner but...read moreI purchased a Medit scanner in August and I am very happy with the scanner. I was trained on an Omnicam in dental school and used Omnicam for 4 years in my associateship. The speed and quality of the Medit scanner is comparable to a CEREC scanner but you can’t beat the price of the Medit! I would highly recommend this if you are a beginner or pro in digital dentistry!read less - 9/22/2020
Steve Blank
I bought the Medit i500 and self installed to save $$$. The web site provided great step by step instructions. The Facebook group filled in the gaps. The software has been continuously upgraded and works great for scanning and tracking cases sent and...read moreI bought the Medit i500 and self installed to save $$$. The web site provided great step by step instructions. The Facebook group filled in the gaps. The software has been continuously upgraded and works great for scanning and tracking cases sent and received. My tip for scanning single crowns: While waiting for anesthesia, Scan the upper and lower quadrants and record the bite. Then i delete the tooth to be scanned. That saves time later after tooth preparation. At that time, switch to HD and scan the prep, done!read less - 6/16/2020
Dr Grace Simco
I bought I500 scanner two years ago. The scanner is great and the service is excellent. I have contacted Heather Gramley and Andy Nova about the updates of my scanner recently. They are absolutely amazing people. They go above and beyond. They repres...read moreI bought I500 scanner two years ago. The scanner is great and the service is excellent. I have contacted Heather Gramley and Andy Nova about the updates of my scanner recently. They are absolutely amazing people. They go above and beyond. They represent the company very well.read less - 7/05/2022
Excellent company to work with. Best customer service and technology available. Can't recommend enough! - 5/05/2021
Jason Ehtessabian
Fantastic! Scanner went down after a few years, and they had a new one in my office the next morning. Highly recommended. - 8/26/2021
ryan ku
I've been using this for almost 2 months now and I just love it. At this price point, ROI is a no-brainer. The convenience factor is amazing. I only did the DIY online training and I'm pretty confident doing the scan. I've signed up for the actual ...read moreI've been using this for almost 2 months now and I just love it. At this price point, ROI is a no-brainer. The convenience factor is amazing. I only did the DIY online training and I'm pretty confident doing the scan. I've signed up for the actual course so looking forward to seeing it's greater potentials.read less - 10/14/2019
These guys are great. Always quick to answers questions and trouble shoot. Only a text away...they are spot on. Would purchase from them again in a heart beat......and will soon! We are getting close to adding a second Medit i500 to the office. Every...read moreThese guys are great. Always quick to answers questions and trouble shoot. Only a text away...they are spot on. Would purchase from them again in a heart beat......and will soon! We are getting close to adding a second Medit i500 to the office. Everyone whats to use the one we have!read less - 6/19/2020
W Timothy Brooks
Excellent fast color scanner. A great improvement over my old proprietary scanner. Easy to learn software and great free technical support. - 6/18/2020
I received my Medit scanner a couple months ago from Cad-ray, and I can't express enough how awesome it is. I have done a ton of research and used the latest IOS from one of the big guys, and due to many software issues I was able to return that mach...read moreI received my Medit scanner a couple months ago from Cad-ray, and I can't express enough how awesome it is. I have done a ton of research and used the latest IOS from one of the big guys, and due to many software issues I was able to return that machine. And thank God, because it was so over priced and came with a $300/month support fee forever! The Medit scanner is as good or better than that one when it was working properly, and for the price it's a no brainier.read less - 9/17/2020
John T
Frank and the CAD-Ray crew are awesome! They are always available for support with the technology you purchase from them. - 1/25/2023
Tommy Han
Awesome service. Bought a Medit and was able to learn how to use it simply by watching Cad-Ray's support and education videos. Three thumbs up! - 6/16/2020
Stephanie O'Rourke
I am fairly new to scanning with my Medit I700. I am loving this in my business. It has had its challenges at times but the best part is the accessibility and support from Frank DeLuca. He has been instrumental in helping me when I have a patient in...read moreI am fairly new to scanning with my Medit I700. I am loving this in my business. It has had its challenges at times but the best part is the accessibility and support from Frank DeLuca. He has been instrumental in helping me when I have a patient in the chair and need assistance. I couldn't be more grateful for his help. Thanks, Frank!read less - 12/16/2021
Daniel Hwang
Fantastic scanner and best company to buy from. They make sure you are happy with your product. Armen, Frank, and team are the best. High recommendations for CADRAY and the i500. - 7/18/2020
Fantastic folks. I'm an orthodontist and opened an office in 2020. They helped me find the perfect intraoral scanner to suit my needs. Not too much or too little, and a great price. Every time we have a technical question, a sharp human answers the p...read moreFantastic folks. I'm an orthodontist and opened an office in 2020. They helped me find the perfect intraoral scanner to suit my needs. Not too much or too little, and a great price. Every time we have a technical question, a sharp human answers the phone, troubleshoots, and remotes in when needed-- navigating MS updates and graphics card issues. My i500 died this week. They overnighted me a trade-in at a totally reasonable price, and even shipped me a laptop to drive the i600 while I got a new one (they knew my 2020 laptop wouldn't keep up!). CAD-Ray has consistently hit it out of the park.read less - 4/14/2025
Armen Mirzayan
Are you happy with the support and training you have received with our team at CAD-Ray.com?
Our business grows much like yours, with referrals and recommendations. We would greatly appreciate a quick review / testimonial
NOTE: ...read moreAre you happy with the support and training you have received with our team at CAD-Ray.com?
Our business grows much like yours, with referrals and recommendations. We would greatly appreciate a quick review / testimonial
NOTE: All testimonials are submitted by verified owners.read less - 5/08/2021
CAD-Ray keeps knocking it out of the park. Upgraded from i500 to i700. Transition was seamless! Thanks again guys! - 11/15/2022
carlos Santos
I would like to let you know that Kaila Larson is excellent communicator, personable, professional and knowledgeableI have had the opportunity to talk to her 3 times and it has always been awesome.Regards,Dr Carlos santos - 4/08/2022
Mitchell Rubinstein
I purchased my medit i500 scanner about a year ago from CAD Ray, and I have been extremely happy with both the scanner and the service / support.
Armen and Frank consider your purchase to be the beginning of your relationship with them, not...read moreI purchased my medit i500 scanner about a year ago from CAD Ray, and I have been extremely happy with both the scanner and the service / support.
Armen and Frank consider your purchase to be the beginning of your relationship with them, not the end. They do their best to make sure you learn everything you need to know in order to get the best possible results .
They answer calls and messages promptly, and it never takes me very long to get my questions answered.
I am VERY glad I bought from them, and not from one of the "big box" Dental Mega retailers.read less - 10/09/2019
Thank you guys so much. You guys have the absolute best customer service! - 5/05/2025
Aaron Sipos
CAD-RAY has the best customer service. They go above and beyond to make sure you have a good experience with your medit scanner. With most tech companies, the person that answers the phone has to put you on hold for who knows how long before getting ...read moreCAD-RAY has the best customer service. They go above and beyond to make sure you have a good experience with your medit scanner. With most tech companies, the person that answers the phone has to put you on hold for who knows how long before getting you in touch with someone to fix the issue. With CAD-RAY, I called and Heather answered the phone. Heather was able to remotely fix my issue within 30 minutes and have me back up and running. No holds, no waiting!!! I highly recommend.read less - 9/01/2022
Russell Schafer
Overall great company to work with. They sell wondeful products and give stellar service for a much lower price than any of the supply houses. I can't recommend them enough. - 8/19/2022
Daniel Eley
I just bought the new Medit i700. I placed the order on Friday, it shipped on Monday, and it arrived on Tuesday. So far it has been a great experience. They also provide a lot of quality videos for learning to use the scanner. - 5/05/2021
Christopher Chin
This was my intro into intraoral scanning and I did research for quite awhile. The i500 and the team at Cad Ray are top notch. The company has done such a great job putting this scanner in the ranks of the premier ones. With constant updates it gets...read moreThis was my intro into intraoral scanning and I did research for quite awhile. The i500 and the team at Cad Ray are top notch. The company has done such a great job putting this scanner in the ranks of the premier ones. With constant updates it gets better and better (though I’m still behind on updates). My crowns have never been better. They drop right in with no models. I didn’t believe it but I’m loving digital dentistry. I can’t wait to go to the class after COVID calms down!read less - 6/16/2020
I purchased my Medit i500 scanner almost a year ago from CAD-Ray. Laura and the team there have been so responsive and ready to help. It is so nice to have a person answer the phone and be willing and able to assist! - 12/09/2021
Farshad Rouhani
I do not know if it is okay to use the F word on this page. But I F@#KING LOVE MY MEDIT with the new filters now.
Scan the teeth with the middle filter, then go to the first 1 and get the palate in less than 1 minute. AMAZING
I have since s...read moreI do not know if it is okay to use the F word on this page. But I F@#KING LOVE MY MEDIT with the new filters now.
Scan the teeth with the middle filter, then go to the first 1 and get the palate in less than 1 minute. AMAZING
I have since sold my ITERO and JUST HATE my OMNICAM EVERYDAY.read less - 3/01/2020
A newcomer to scanning, I have been impressed with the ease of the process. The commitment shown by each CAD-Ray team member to successful customer training and their skill levelhave been extraordinary. Thank you Kaila, Frank and Andy!! - 5/15/2022
Travis Kendall
This scanner is amazing! It’s hard to believe that it is less then half the price of 3 shape with zero yearly charges. I highly recommend you give it a try! - 10/09/2019
Great company. Pioneer in digital dentistry. Armen knows his stuff. Hands down the go to scanner reseller in the US. Support and training courses are incredible. - 10/02/2022
Deryck Pham
best customer service on the planet. very easy to use. and always fine tuning to make the user experience better. - 6/16/2020
Dr. Steven E. Hollister
Had a training session for use of my Medit scanner this afternoon, and Heather G. was simply the best.....knowledgeable, patient and a great trainer. She had a wealth of knowledge regarding my scanner and she was so very patient with my computer glit...read moreHad a training session for use of my Medit scanner this afternoon, and Heather G. was simply the best.....knowledgeable, patient and a great trainer. She had a wealth of knowledge regarding my scanner and she was so very patient with my computer glitches! CAD-Ray is number one in my book! Thanks Heather, your time was much appreciated! Dr. Steve Hollisterread less - 5/14/2025
Matt Reith
Love my Medit! Can’t beat the quality, and the price is even better! Also, great people who are always willing to help! - 6/16/2020
Collin Kwasnik
will never buy any product they offer from any other company regardless of price. this team is the best and incredible. - 6/05/2022
Brandon Jones
Cad-Ray customer service is great! Super responsive and efficient. - 3/26/2024
Aaron Olson
This product is the best out there. Do the math and your ROI makes more sense than most products we purchase as dentists. Get on the digital train or you’ll be left behind. This is the best product to make the jump with. - 6/16/2020
Cad-ray has to be the best company to work with when it comes to digital dentistry solutions. Here are the reasons why: 1. Experience. Everyone in the company has extensive experience in dentistry. They have used all digital platforms and offer custo...read moreCad-ray has to be the best company to work with when it comes to digital dentistry solutions. Here are the reasons why: 1. Experience. Everyone in the company has extensive experience in dentistry. They have used all digital platforms and offer customers first hand experience. 2. Honesty. Based on their experience they share all the good/bad of different systems. They work with you to find a solution that works best for you. Not sell you the piece of the equipment that gives them the biggest commission. 3. Support. Cad-ray offers the missing piece of the dentist/digital manufacturer puzzle. Many other distributors sell you a piece of equipment but don’t have true day-to-day experience with that equipment. Cad-ray’s team openly share their expertise to help customers optimize their workflows with great technology. 4. Passionate. The Cad-ray team is extremely passionate about their craft. They truly believe in what they have to offer. I took Armen Mirzayan’s course on intraoral scanning and it was truly mind blowing. Armen’s insights will help any dentist optimize their craft. I purchased the full sprintray 3d printing ecosystem the help of Frank. I plan to purchase more equipment from cad-ray. Also, Jesse is a genius in regards to all aspect of digital workflows. I’m truly grateful for this company and everyone who I’ve worked with so far.read less - 10/07/2022
Preston Poole
Great company with even better customer service. Premier dental business with digital dentistry and scanners! - 11/03/2022
Penelope Lee
Frank and his team have always been ready and able to help us with any issue we’ve come across in the last 2 years since we purchased our mill and equipment from them. Today, Griffen went above and beyond to find a solution to our software issue. I w...read moreFrank and his team have always been ready and able to help us with any issue we’ve come across in the last 2 years since we purchased our mill and equipment from them. Today, Griffen went above and beyond to find a solution to our software issue. I was able to finish a project on time for a patient in pain because of his dedication. “We’ve never had a more helpful team for any of our equipment” was a quote from our head Doctor today. Excellent job Griffen and team!read less - 5/14/2025
Aram Grigoryan
I'm really grateful with the service CAD-Ray has provided! I'm also very happy with Laura's presentation with the Medit i700, and overall help in choosing the right scanner for my practice. I'm really happy with the scanner and the SprintRay Pro 95 P...read moreI'm really grateful with the service CAD-Ray has provided! I'm also very happy with Laura's presentation with the Medit i700, and overall help in choosing the right scanner for my practice. I'm really happy with the scanner and the SprintRay Pro 95 Printer as well. Thank you.read less - 8/31/2021
We’ve been using the Medit i700 in our office for approximately a year now. It has been a game changer and hard to remember what it’s like without using the intra-oral scanner. The Cad-Ray support team has been remarkable as well! - 9/11/2022
George W
Frank DeLuca has been my rep for almost a year and has provided excellent, caring, professional service and with a great attitude. - 1/25/2023
A Palmer
I'm a dentist in Maine and have been working remotely with CAD-RAY for about 5 years. They do all my implant planning and fabrication of surgical guides. I just send them a CBCT image and digital impressions and they take care of all the rest, it cou...read moreI'm a dentist in Maine and have been working remotely with CAD-RAY for about 5 years. They do all my implant planning and fabrication of surgical guides. I just send them a CBCT image and digital impressions and they take care of all the rest, it couldn't be smoother. I've only had good experiences with CAD-RAY, and am very grateful for this awesome service they offer.read less - 6/02/2019
Jared Gustafson
One of the best companies to work with for dental tech needs. They have a vast video training library that makes the transition easy to digital dentistry. I’ve recommended a few of my colleagues purchase the medit through them. It’s been a great year...read moreOne of the best companies to work with for dental tech needs. They have a vast video training library that makes the transition easy to digital dentistry. I’ve recommended a few of my colleagues purchase the medit through them. It’s been a great year!read less - 6/16/2020
Mike Holt
We purchased the Medit i700. With the help of CAD-Ray and their amazing support team the transition to digital scanning was simple. Laura Geney walked us through the purchase and guided us during our training with the help of Andy Nova. Laura has bee...read moreWe purchased the Medit i700. With the help of CAD-Ray and their amazing support team the transition to digital scanning was simple. Laura Geney walked us through the purchase and guided us during our training with the help of Andy Nova. Laura has been there every step of the way checking in weekly answering all of our questions. We highly recommend CAD-Ray and look forward to doing business with them in the future.read less - 7/24/2022
John Eum
Love all the staff there. Great support and instruction from Armen, Laura, Damien. We are very grateful for Kaila who has been incredible in getting us going - very friendly, professional and responsive. Thank you! - 7/03/2024
Nisarg Parikh
Absolutely a phenomenal company. Everyone you engage with is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.I’m sure they get the same questions day in, day out but they are happy to help you without being condescending. The entire team has been helpful through...read moreAbsolutely a phenomenal company. Everyone you engage with is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.I’m sure they get the same questions day in, day out but they are happy to help you without being condescending. The entire team has been helpful through phone calls, the Cad-Ray FB group, and recorded webinars. Jonathan helped me get a great deal, Laura was awesome on the webinar, Damien is always answering questions on FB, and Armen had a great in-person presentation in Dallas. 100% recommend.read less - 4/22/2022
John Allen
fantastic support, I always ask random, specific to me, could be found on a training video, questions and they always quickly tell me how to fix my problem. - 6/16/2020
Mayoor Patel
Kaila is awesome with training and her customer service skills. Enjoy learning from her... Product (scanner) so far loving it. - 12/02/2021
With the Meditlink software you can design a case and then export the designs and take them to any milling machine of your choice. In this demonstration, we use the CORiTEC ONE to mill out the metal abutment in 45 minutes. This procedure is not intended to be a single appointment visit so timing is not critical and you don’t place undue wear and tear on the milling machine.
The crowns were milled with two different milling machines. A Celtra Duo block was used and milled with the CEREC MCXL and retrofitted to the abutment to verify the fit and accuracy. The same crown stl was milled out of Vita material in the imes icore machine. The whole point of the demonstration is that you can take scans from any intra-oral scan, take it to CAD software (in this case exocad) and then export the case and take it to any printer or milling machine of your choice. You must make sure critical information is accurately transferred from your CAD software to your CAM software, which is generally the construction / project file that accompanies the STL files of the prosthetic components
The same crown was milled out of Vita’s Suprinity material in 20 minutes with the imes-icore CORiTEC ONE. Take note of the internal adaptation of the metal abutment and the restoration and how when it is flipped upside down, the restoration does not fall out easily!
For our advanced users, we demonstrate how to plan and manage a two unit molar case so they can deliver multiple chairside restorations in a single visit. There are numerous short-cuts to this treatment protocol and we present them in great detail during our courses. The limiting factor for most doctors is that they have a single milling machine and we show our users how to balance prep and mill time so that they can complete 2 units in less than 90 minutes.
In this case however, we present two restorations that were prepared and delivered at the same time. The sequence of steps are:
Anesthetize the upper right first and second molar
While the patient is getting numb, image the arch to be prepped, image the opposing, and image the bite WITHOUT the teeth being prepared
Reduce the occlusal height of your preparation but do not image them
Check your reduction visually or with the camera function of the Medit i500
Reduce more tooth structure until you have the proper clearance for material strength
Finish refining your preparations, displace the tissue, reach hemostasis, and then crop out the area of the model that you have altered
Image the two preps into that equation. Most people turn on the HD mode for capturing the margins
For distal extension cases, we recommend that you take the second bite. While imaging the second bite (NOT the left vs right bite), if the occlusal model turns green, it is a clear Indication that the vertical has no changed from the pre-op to the prep situation and that you will have minimal post-op adjustments to make. If the second buccal bite does not register in green, it should serve as a warning to you that the vertical dimension has changed
As advanced users, you quickly recognize what areas in the model need to be closed either with imaging or with the “close hole” options during the processing step of the Meditlink software. If you are familiar with exocad or other CAD software programs you can just ignore these areas as they do not have any clinical significance whatsoever.
Once the case is designed you can mill them with your milling machine of choice. The testing of materials, fit, and milling machines are a constant at CAD-Ray.com so we milled the first molar with emax material and the MCXL and the second molar, a Celtra Duo material, was milled with the Imes Icore CORiTEC Once
An immediate post-op bitewing X-ray was taken to verify fit and to make sure that there was no excess resin cement left behind in the interproximal area. The premolar mesial to the working field also needs to be replaced and will be in the near future
In the following three videos we walk you through the steps of how the digital “scanbody drop” works to identify the location of an implant fixture. In the demonstration videos, we highlight this upcoming feature and how you an integrate the CAD software for implant designs and restorations. In the final video, we demonstrate how you can take the construction files to the milling machine of your choice and mill out the abutment and/or suprastructure.
When you start a case in exocad or in Meditlink, you have to define a project or define the job by entering a prescription. A dentalproject file is created that has all the pertinent data, like the type of restoration, the shade, the material, parameter settings,etc..
After the case is designed a dental cad project file is formed, along with the stl file of the restoration, accompanied by the construction information. Once the construction file is formed, the case can be import it into CAM software like cerec inlab. It carries a lot of information like the margin line.
Some CAM software can process simple redirections without the need for any other pertinent information from the construction file, while others require it. Some are so specific that a simple typo or wrong character will lead to mis-production.
In the case of cerec inlab, it’s best to have the construction file accompany the stl of the restorations, although there are numerous work-arounds in case you don’t. Once processed, the restoration is taken to the Mcxl milling machine.
Why are we so focused on teaching this concept ? Because it is critical for milling metal abutment where you have to keep track of an object that is cylindrical and symmetric in shape. The code in these files will dictate the indexing of the connections and how these abutments are milled.
The new Medit i500 software will feature the ability to mark margins in the imaging step before you import the case into a CAD software or send it to the lab. In this article we showcase a case where a 12 year old implant crown needed replacement. The pre-op images were captured, along with the opposing and the bite.
After the area was anesthetized and the crown was removed, expasyl was used to achieve hemostasis and tissue retraction. The margins of the abutment were imaged. Note how we used a feature in the Medit scanner to change the scan light from blue to white, which allows you to pick up red (blood and tissue) that is normally difficult to capture.
Once the margins were captured, we activated the margination tool. You highlight the area you want to address and the meshwork is calculated and processed locally, where you can then designate your margins that are exported to CAD software along with the jaw model, the opposing, the pre-op and the bite.
Alternatively, the traditional way would be to not place the margins in the native Medit software and to place it in the CAD software itself. As you can see both options are very viable and you do not lose any resolution of the scanned data between the imaging program or the design software.
The Medit i500 intra-oral scanner has two different software programs to operate, one is of which is geared towards clinical dentistry and the other is geared towards laboratories. Our advanced users are encouraged to use the lab version as it has a lot more functionality. One of them is to directly link to exocad software.
In this particular preview we show you the interface where you can launch the iScan program and define the work order and set all the parameters for your restorations.
Once all the settings are chosen, you launch the Medit scanner and image the case. Here, we defined the custom abutment for the crown and the opposing, which activated the catalog box for the antagonist, the arch, the scanbody, and the buccal bite. All respective images were captured.
Once the implant type is identified then you can design the abutment and crown with great control, where you can contour the underbelly of the abutment to help provide tissue support.
The design and the construction file is taken to the milling machine. Here, we used the CORiTEC ONE to mill the titanium abutment and then the Lithium Disilicate crown. You can see the great internal adaptation when the crown and the abutment are flipped around completely and the abutment does not fall out.
This case shows the amount of control one can have over the fit of a restoration. The upper right first molar was imaged with the Medit i500 and then imported into exocad design software. Once the margins are marked, the user can then define parameters that affect the fit of the restoration.
The diameter of the drill can be taken into consideration; in the design, 1.0 mm was chosen, but ultimately, we used the 0.6 mm bur to mill the intaglio of the emax restoration. The cement gap can be controlled as can the distance from the margin where it takes effect. The minimum thickness parameter also reinforces the material at the margins which will reduce the chances of chipping and ditching at deep chamfer margins. All of this translates into well fitting restorations with little space needed for the resin. That ultimately translates to easier clean up.
The case was milled using a few different materials and at varying speeds to see how thin the margins could be handled and how much detail the 0.6 mm burr can carve into emax and the glass ceramic material
At any given time, we are milling restorations with 3 or 4 milling machines. Recently, we designed a restoration with the Medit i500 scanner, designed in exocad, and milled with a chairside mcxl cerec milling machine. Here are the steps we took to do this:
You may have to install some .net framework files from Microsoft. It’s generally an automated installation
Once installed, make sure to have your milling machine turned on and connected. A lot of the functionality is closed if your machine is not on and connected to the PC with the software.
We had to follow certain steps in sequence to get this to work. We had to activate the license in a pre-installed CEREC software and then move that thumbdrive to the machine where the inlab CAM was going to be installed
You can contact Mr. Milos Gedosev who runs DentalCADCAM in Germany and has earned a great reputation over two decades if you have any questions.
If you are new to digital dentistry, this introductory video will show you how to judge if digital models are related to each other. As a simple exercise, we opened one digital model and then imported the exact same model as a pre-op scan into the equation.
Once the models are in the design software, they are manually related to each other with at least 3 common points. After the merge, we performed “best fit matching” and then demonstrate how the color histogram in exocad has the both models painted completely blue.
We then slightly altered one model by adding material to one cusp tip, reduce the adjacent cusp tip, and then smoothing the third cusp tip. We then re-aligned both models to each other again and you can see how the software lets you know the range of discrepancy in those areas. Notice that all three areas have the same histogram color but all three have distinct meshwork areas from the original.
Once you understand this concept, it opens up many avenues for you that you can never achieve with traditional impressions.
There are may advanced ways that you can articulate the maxilla with the mandible if you happen to have models that are not accompanied by a bite registration or the arches were scanned intra-orally in separate folders as files
Generally, when you scan intra-oral and complete the case with both arches and the buccal bite, the models maintain their relationship to each other when exported to CAD software. But if you do not include the buccal bite scan, or if you scan the arches in separate files or cases, there is no way for a software to know how they are supposed to align with each other.
This simple video tutorial shows beginners how they can hand articulate the arches together with digital software. There are two steps you should take to make this an easier process to visualize, once you become comfortable with the moving models around as a system or as independent units. Crop the model at its base so that you can see through it and then turn on the feature “show distances” in exocad that will give you a color map and help you with alignment.
Obviously a bite alignment scan will come in hand, whether you use a desktop scan or an intraoral buccal bites scan
Once in a while, our users get themselves in a bind and you have to rely on manual alignment of jaws to each other. Sometimes, it feels like you are doing gymnastics to get the process to work. The sequence of how you import the models and how you set up the case is important in exocad.
Here we have 3 models; one of the upper, one for the lower, and one for the bite. Don’t ask how we ended up here:) The “direction of travel” is important to keep in mind, and as you can see in this video that is sped up, how the case was managed. if you bring in the upper and lower models in together, and then the bite, as soon as you align the bite to one jaw, you end up dislodging it when you tack it to the opposing jaw.
Reversing the sequence of import helps. We first bring in the upper jaw and the bite alignment and stitch those together. Then we bring the lower jaw into the equation and then merge that to the whole complex. Once that is done, the arches now know their relationships to each other and when you save each arch individually and import them into other programs, they will know exactly how to line up.
At the end of this video demonstration you can see how we re-import the two models in stl format just to verify that they do align properly
In this particular case, we demonstrate an emax restoration fabricated with the Z4 milling machine by VHF. In the first video, you can see how the case was set up initially within the software. You will notice how we image the preop, image the opposing and can even image the bite out of sequence, all while the patient is being anesthetized.
Once the preparation is captured, we place the margins and design a crown in exocad. The emax is milled, tried in, and them placed in the oven for crystallization. It is then delivered to the patient. Note how the decay at the contacts of the adjacent teeth was drilled out and restored, while the crown was milling / crystalizing. An immediate post op x-ray was taken to make sure there was no resin left behin
When imaging a preparation, all you really need for a restoration to “fit’ is the contact area of the adjacent teeth (above the height of contour) and the opposing occlusal surface.
But the more you feed the computer aided design software the less work you have to do in the design of the restoration. For example, in the video below, you can see how the software automatically recognizes the adjacent teeth and a great initial proposal is rendered.
However, if you don’t capture all the data in the adjacent teeth, you will have to manually plot the adjacent teeth and spend more time in the design steps.
With exocad, the first step is to align the orientation of the arch so that the occlusal surface is directly facing you. Once the prepped arch and the opposing models are imported, then you place the margins.With the color OBJ files from the Medit i500 it is very easy to identify the margin based on color and geometry. Once the margins are placed, the next step in the wizard is to calculate the initial proposal.
This video demonstrates how the CAD software recognizes the adjacent teeth and renders a great initial proposal
Download the OBJ files and import them into smile design software and do a virtual wax up for a real case
This patient has had crown lengthening procedure performed on all the teeth in her smile line, greatly increased the tooth structure visible in this video. Her chief complaint was a gummy smile and now she is ready to “fill in the buccal corridor”
This is a first molar crown that was replaced with an in-office milled eMax restoration. The adjacent second molar had recurrent decay under the existing class 2 restoration. That was removed and replaced and pre-existing crown was also removed.
The preparation was refined and the recurrent decay was removed. Once hemostasis was achieved and the tissue was retracted the area was scanned with the medit i500. The crown was designed to full contour and milled chairside. After it was chrystalized, it was bonded into place with Nx3 resin cement. The excess was removed and an immediate post-op bitewing was taken to verify that no excess cement was left behind.
Pre-Op
This video shows the design of a crown after the impression was taken where vivid colors of the retraction cord, the sulcus, the preparation, and the details of the adjacent tooth can be visualized.
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Immediate Post-Op
Download the case files in OBJ Format
There are so many incredible and robust features to exocad and it is precisely why there are over 35,000 users around the world. There are many distributors to the software, including us, at CAD-Ray.com
We focus mostly on our clients who are generally dentists, and our main goal is to streamline your workflow and make this easy and not intimidating. During our two day hands-on course for new medit i500 owners, we install the software and design four cases in exocad.
Here are some of the top highlights for you to understand. The software is installed and self contained within a folder that you can place anywhere on a computer’s directory. What’s great about this is that your software operates completely independent of the windows operating system. So whenever there is an automatic windoes update, it does not mess with your configurations or settings and you don’t have to deal with firewalls and other technical terms we don’t even comprehend.
Another benefit to this is that you can place this folder on the cloud like dropbox and then you can go to ANY machine- at home, in another operatory, at another office and launch the program there, instead of carrying a laptop around. Since the data can only be accessed by a real license / dongle, there are no concerns about HIPAA violations as it is encrypted and only accessible by the active license. Moreover, one machine can be running Windows 7 and another could be runnng Windows 10, and you wouldn’t know the difference or have to worry about configurations
Also, multiple doctors in multiple locations could be working off the same program on the cloud, as long as they have an active dongle. This really allows for a lot of flexibility in a practice or a group setting.
You can see the basic elements in the folder, which are broken down into a case data storage folder, the CADApp and the DentalDB folders. We’ll explain what these other two folders do below.
As a distributor, we can custom make our own private label version of exocad. Since we are focused on chairside dentistry, or on dentists, generally, we strip the software down to the essentials. Namely, we’ve programmed it for inlays, onlays, crowns, and veneers. We also include bridges that can fit in 40mm blocks. You can choose to add on other modules like implant planning, implant designs, dentures, etc.. if you choose to.
It is important for you to understand that we provide a fully functional version of this software, and if you want to add more features as your confidence grows, all you have to do is swap out these files called WorkParamsDB.xml
Watch the video that shows you how we have multiple versions of the file. We provide you with many versions of this file that you always have access to and they are all configured differently. In seconds, you can change the look and the feel of the software to your liking, and turn on multiple modules that we hide from the version that we provide. Please note that we only provide support and tutorials for the what we call the Dentist Version of exocad, as opposed to the lab version. If you grow to the point where you want to add the other components, it is very to transition, just recognize that we don’t support the heavy duty version. We certainly can refer you to the right people to learn how to use those extended functions.
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One more thing for you to get excited about is the WorkParamConfigTool.exe
Now, if you are scared of the mouse and can’t press the “Any Key” button on keyboard, stop reading any further.
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