Strategy: Making the Most of Software

I started my lab in 2020 and my focus is fabricating ortho appliances and 3D printing and design. To me, the key to being productive is to be organized and meticulous; two software packages have been instrumental in helping me do that:

• Most of my work comes in via STL files and with all the different IO scanners on the market, the data files often need to be cleaned up. I use Autodesk Meshmixer to do that. The software is like a “Swiss Army Knife” for 3D meshes and it’s free for Windows. However, it’s not a dental-specific program, so there was a big learning curve which I overcame by trial and error and watching videos on YouTube.


• For nightguard design, I purchased software from D3 Tool which is a great program. It’s simple to learn and takes away all the heavy lifting from the technician. Based on the information I enter into the system, it determines the size, thickness, occlusal contacts and all excursions. There’s...
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