What Is CAD/CAM Technology and How Is It Used in a Dental Lab?

Published 20 May 2026 · 8 min read

CAD/CAM technology dentistry has revolutionised the way dental laboratories design and manufacture prosthetic restorations. What once required hours of manual work with wax and plaster is now accomplished in minutes with digital design software and automated milling machines. In this article we explain in detail what CAD/CAM is, how the complete workflow operates and what advantages it offers over traditional methods.

What CAD and CAM mean

CAD stands for Computer-Aided Design. In the dental context, it refers to software that allows the digital design of crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, veneers, implant structures, removable prosthetics and aligners from a three-dimensional scan.

CAM stands for Computer-Aided Manufacturing. It refers to the process of converting that digital design into a physical object through CNC milling, 3D printing or laser sintering. Together, CAD and CAM form a complete digital workflow from case capture to finished piece.

The CAD/CAM workflow step by step

The complete CAD/CAM technology dentistry process follows a logical sequence that begins with digital case capture and ends with the restoration ready for cementation:

• Scanning: the starting point is an intraoral scan (performed at the clinic with scanners such as 3Shape TRIOS, iTero or Medit) or a model scan (performed at the lab with a desktop scanner). The result is a 3D file in STL, PLY or OBJ format representing the patient's anatomy.
• CAD design: the technician imports the scan into dental CAD software and designs the restoration. They define margins, adjust occlusion, select tooth shape from a library and refine proximal contacts. The result is a 3D file of the design ready for manufacturing.
• CAM planning: the design is imported into CAM software that calculates milling paths or printing parameters. Part orientation, connectors (sprues), machining strategy and material are defined.
• Manufacturing: the CNC machine mills the material block or the 3D printer builds the piece layer by layer. Depending on the material, post-sintering (zirconia) or UV curing (resins) may be required.
• Finishing: the piece is separated from connectors, polished, characterised with ceramic staining if needed and prepared for shipping.

Dental CAD software: the main options

The dental CAD software market is dominated by three major platforms, each with its strengths:

• exocad DentalCAD: the most widespread among independent laboratories. Modular architecture allowing purchase of only needed modules (crowns, implants, removable, orthodontics). Compatible with virtually all milling machines and printers on the market. Annual updates with new features.
• 3Shape Dental System: integrated ecosystem with proprietary scanners. Intuitive interface and powerful design engine. Strong in implantology and orthodontic workflows. Requires specific hardware for some functions.
• Dental Wings (Straumann): integrated into the Straumann ecosystem. Good option for laboratories working primarily with Straumann implants. Clean interface and guided workflow.

Beyond these, more specialised solutions exist such as Zirkonzahn.Software for zirconia workflows, Maestro 3D for orthodontics and aligners, and Dentsply Sirona's inLab for the CEREC ecosystem.

CNC milling machines: the heart of dental CAM

Dental milling machines are precision CNC machines designed specifically for machining dental materials. They are classified primarily by the number of axes of movement:

• 4-axis mills: suitable for simple work such as single crowns in PMMA or wax. Limited in complex geometries.
• 5-axis mills: the modern laboratory standard. Capable of machining any geometry, including long bridges, implant bars and structures with complex angles. Brands like VHF, imes-icore, Roland DG and Amann Girrbach dominate this segment.
• 5+1 axis mills: add an additional axis for automatic tool changing or extra positioning. Ideal for serial production.

Materials compatible with CAD/CAM

One of the great advantages of CAD/CAM technology dentistry is the variety of materials it can process. The main ones are:

• Zirconia (zirconium oxide): the star material of dental CAD/CAM. High strength, excellent biocompatibility and natural aesthetics. Milled in a pre-sintered (soft) state then sintered at 1500°C, shrinking 20-25%. Available in multiple translucencies and colour gradients.
• Lithium disilicate (e.max): glass ceramic with high aesthetics for anterior crowns and veneers. Milled in crystallised or pre-crystallised state. Excellent translucency and flexural strength.
• PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate): acrylic resin for long-term provisionals, removable prosthetics and prototypes. Economical and easy to mill. Ideal for validating designs before manufacturing in definitive material.
• Millable wax: for casting patterns. The wax is milled then used in lost-wax technique to obtain the metal structure in CoCr or noble alloys.
• CoCr (cobalt-chromium): can be milled directly in dry mode (with powerful mills) or laser sintered (DMLS). For metal structures of bridges and removable prosthetics.
• Titanium: for custom implant abutments and bars. Requires robust mills with coolant and specific tooling.
• CAD/CAM composite: ceramic-reinforced resin blocks (such as Lava Ultimate or Cerasmart). Combine aesthetics and resilience.

Advantages of CAD/CAM over traditional methods

The transition from manual work to CAD/CAM is not merely a matter of modernity. The advantages are measurable and significant:

• Precision: the marginal fit of a CAD/CAM-milled crown is consistently below 50 microns, while the manual method varies between 50 and 150 microns depending on the technician.
• Speed: a CAD design of a single crown takes 5 to 15 minutes. Milling adds 15-30 minutes. The equivalent manual process can take several hours.
• Reproducibility: the same design produces the same result every time. No variability between technicians or between days.
• Documentation: every design is archived digitally. If a restoration fractures years later, you can reproduce it exactly without a new impression.
• Advanced materials: monolithic zirconia, for example, is only viable with CAD/CAM. There is no manual method to fabricate a zirconia crown.

How CAD/CAM integrates with lab management software

The CAD/CAM workflow does not exist in a vacuum. Every restoration designed and milled is part of a case that has an associated clinic, a patient, production phases and an invoice. This is where lab management software connects the entire process:

• The clinic sends the intraoral scan through the order portal. The STL file is automatically associated with the case.
• The CAD technician opens the file from the management platform, designs in exocad or 3Shape and uploads the finished design to the case.
• The production manager changes the case status to "milling" and assigns the milling machine.
• Once milled, the case advances to "finishing" and finally to "shipped".
• The invoice is generated automatically from the case products.

Without a management platform connecting these steps, the laboratory relies on shared folders, emails and spreadsheets to coordinate the flow. With a platform like DoYourLab, everything is centralised and traceable.

3D printing as a complement to milling

Although CNC milling remains the primary method for definitive restorations, 3D printing has established itself as an essential complement to the CAD/CAM workflow:

• Working models: printed in resin from the intraoral scan. Eliminates the need for plaster casting.
• Surgical guides: for precise implant placement. Designed in planning software and printed in biocompatible resin.
• Provisionals: temporary crowns and bridges printed in certified dental resin.
• Casting patterns: printed in burnable resin as an alternative to milled wax.
• Splints and aligners: printed directly or as models for thermoforming.

The combination of milling for definitive pieces and 3D printing for models, guides and provisionals gives the laboratory maximum flexibility and efficiency. Both technologies are managed from the same case on the platform, with files stored in the cloud and accessible to the entire team.

Investment and ROI of CAD/CAM

The initial investment in CAD/CAM technology is significant: a desktop scanner costs between 10,000 and 30,000 euros, a 5-axis milling machine between 30,000 and 80,000 euros, and CAD software licences between 5,000 and 20,000 euros depending on modules. However, the return materialises quickly:

• Reduction in production time per case by 40-60%.
• Elimination of rework due to fit errors.
• Ability to handle more volume without hiring additional manual technicians.
• Access to premium materials (zirconia, lithium disilicate) that generate higher margins.
• Competitive differentiation against laboratories that only work manually.

A laboratory processing 100 cases per month with CAD/CAM can amortise the investment in 18-24 months, considering the savings in technician time and reduction in wasted material.

The future of dental CAD/CAM

CAD/CAM technology dentistry continues to evolve. Current trends point towards artificial intelligence applied to design (automatic tooth shape proposals), increasingly aesthetic and resistant materials, faster and more precise milling machines, and total integration between all elements of the digital workflow. Laboratories that master CAD/CAM today are prepared to lead the digital transformation of the sector in the coming years.