This article was written by Alexander Wells, DDS, Product Marketing Manager at Dandy, a one-stop dental lab.
Choosing a dental lab can feel like a no-win scenario.
National labs offer scale, speed, and cutting-edge manufacturing. But communicating with them can feel impersonal and inefficient, with messages spread across chatbots, emails, faxes, and phone calls. All too often, details slip through the cracks, leading to mistakes that ultimately affect the seating of restorations.
Local labs, on the other hand, provide a personal touch — dentists know their technicians by name and work with them directly. The relationship tends to offer closer collaboration between dentist and lab, but at the cost of noticeably slower turnaround times and greater delays in overall response times.
So, dentists have long been forced to make a trade-off: speed and scale at the expense of communication, or collaboration at the expense of time. At least, they used to.
Dandy is redefining the model, offering real-time, personalized communication with the speed and manufacturing expertise needed for consistent, successful treatment outcomes.
By uniting scanning technology, live clinical support, and advanced digital manufacturing in one connected workflow, Dandy delivers best-in-class results with the efficiency of a national lab.
Unlocking the Digital Workflow Through Digital Innovation
Dandy’s digital workflow starts with its intraoral scanner and free scanning software, Chairside. Intraoral scanners are rapidly replacing analogue impressions because they capture the same information faster, more comfortably for patients, and with greater accuracy. They also allow impressions to be shared instantly with the lab, and 90% of users said they were at least mostly satisfied with the results when using an intraoral scanner.
Digital scans unlock several advantages for dental practices, including expanding access to technician-level support at any time. Because scans can be accessed remotely by both dentist and lab, case support is available at scale. Dentists can work closely with Dandy’s clinical support team regardless of location, connecting within 60 seconds or less at any step of their workflow, from case planning, live scan reviews mid-appointment, design collaboration, and more.
For Dandy, AI-supported workflows are the next frontier of digital dentistry. Soon, Dandy’s scanning software will introduce dentistry’s first AI-powered prep analysis tool. It will flag issues such as undercuts and clearance, and guide dentists on how to correct them while the patient is still in the chair. Currently in final development, AI Scan Review is designed to improve accuracy, prevent remakes, and reduce chair time.
Closing the Communication Gap: Connecting Dentists and Lab Techs
Poor communication is one of the main obstacles to good lab work. Labs and dentists exchange information using a hodge-podge of methods: by phone, email, fax — even post. Sometimes the information is recorded. Sometimes not. Details are often garbled (a literal game of telephone). Too often, information is lost, leading to significant differences between what dentists specify and what they receive.
Dandy’s Live Design Review closes this gap by bringing design collaboration online through real-time video calls. Dentists and technicians can meet in a shared 3D workspace, review the case design onscreen, and mark adjustments directly on the model. Both sides see and agree on the design before it goes into production, where the restoration is fabricated to the approved specifications. Over 85% of dentists who try Live Design Review return for another session within the same month. With detailed 3D visualization of shape, shade, and fit, Live Design Review gives dentists the ability to refine designs alongside experienced Dandy technicians as if they were in the same room.
When cases don’t require a live session, Dandy’s Video Design Review offers collaboration on any schedule. In these narrated video walkthroughs, technicians explain design choices and highlight key considerations. Dentists can review these videos at their convenience, giving them a more flexible design review experience.
These tools, made possible with Dandy’s digital workflows, reduce back-and-forth, shorten turnaround times, and help finalize cases more quickly.
From Digital Scans to Lab Production
Once digital scans are submitted, they move directly into Dandy’s lab for design and fabrication. Digital models integrate and slot neatly with CAD/CAM tools and manufacturing systems, ensuring restorations are produced with precision and speed.
In this process, Dandy’s technicians lead every case, applying their expertise and artistry to the design and production of restorations. Design software AI supports them by identifying potential issues that could affect the outcome, strengthening accuracy without replacing human judgment. This collaboration between skilled technicians and advanced technology allows Dandy to deliver bespoke restorations at scale, giving dentists confidence that every case is prepared to their own clinical standard before it leaves the lab.
Digitization also creates a living record of each patient’s work. Stored scans and design files allow for efficient replacements, whether it’s a lost denture, a night guard, or a new crown that must match the shade and specifications of a neighboring one. This continuity between practice and lab helps dentists treat patients more efficiently while ensuring consistent quality over time.
Looking Towards a More Connected Dental Industry
Digital technology is transforming the way dentists and labs work together, especially at Dandy. By bridging the gap between practices, labs, and patients, it enhances communication, accelerates production, and combines the speed and scale of a national lab with the collaboration and precision dentists expect from a local partner.
For patients, the impact is clear: restorations that arrive faster, fit better, and support better outcomes. For dental practices, the benefits are just as profound: greater efficiency, fewer remakes, more satisfied patients, and a stronger bottom line.
