Digital Workflow

A Fully Digital UK Dental Lab Workflow

This UK digital dental lab workflow for dentists runs STL scans from iTero, 3Shape, Medit and Dexis through surgical guides, CAD-CAM design and 3D printing, the same digital dental workflow whether your team searches for digital workflow dentistry, digital dentistry workflow, dental laboratory digital workflow, or same day digital dental workflow.

We are GDC-registered (216535), DAMAS and DLA members, MHRA-compliant for the custom-made devices this workflow produces, with a standard 10 working day turnaround for restorative cases, sent by tracked courier to and from practices across England.

Digital dental lab workflow: resin 3D printer and CAD software

The shift to digital dentistry is the current standard in dental practices, not a future trend, and Flora Dental Lab is fully integrated into digital workflows, from intraoral scanning through CAD-CAM and AI-assisted fabrication. This guide covers the submission detail that keeps a digital case accurate from scan to seat.

What a Digital Workflow Changes, and What It Does NotA clean, complete scanDistortion-free is not the same as complete. Margins must be visible and dry, the preparation fully captured, and the adjacent and opposing teeth included. A fast scan with a missing margin still produces a remake.An accurate bite and the opposing archDigital or conventional, the restoration is only as good as the occlusal record. Capture the bite reliably and include the opposing arch, the lab cannot invent the occlusion.Shade and substrate, recorded properlyA scanner does not read shade. Send the target shade under consistent light, the stump (substrate) shade for anterior work, and photographs where the case is visible.

What each stage needs

The Digital Case, Stage by Stage

The table below sets out what the lab needs at each stage of a digital case and why it matters.

What each stage of a digital case asks of the practice.

Stage What we need Why it matters Note
Intraoral scan STL from 3Shape, Medit, iTero, Dexis Removes impression distortion Margins must be dry and visible
Conventional impression PVS or polyether, well-extended Still valid where scanning is hard We digitise it on arrival
Bite registration Reliable ICP or CR record The lab cannot invent occlusion Include the opposing arch
Shade Target shade, stump shade, photos Scanners do not read colour Consistent light is essential
Wax-up / try-in Noted on the prescription Confirms the plan before final Especially for aesthetic cases

Get the scan, the bite and the shade right at source, and the digital workflow does the rest, reproducibly, and with fast remakes from a stored file.

The Flora digital workflow guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you should know

Which scanners do you accept?+

STL exports from 3Shape TRIOS, Medit, iTero and Dexis. Send the file by email or upload link and we confirm receipt within one hour during business hours.

Do I have to go fully digital?+

No. We work both digital and conventional and digitise conventional impressions on arrival. Use whichever gives the better record for the case.

How do I send a scan from my system?+

Export the STL and upload or email it, or send directly via your scanner’s communication portal. Tell us the system if you need help.

Do you use CAD-CAM and AI in fabrication?+

Yes, CAD design and CAM milling for reproducible fit, with AI-assisted steps where they improve consistency. The clinical decisions stay with the dentist.

What about shade on a digital case?+

Capture it separately from the scan, scanners do not read colour reliably. Send the target shade, the stump shade for anterior work, and photographs.

Submit a Case to Flora Dental Lab

Clear prescriptions and complete records are the foundation for restorations that seat first time. Send us your first case and see the difference.