Digital Dentistry Equipment Guide
Follow each area from the basics to picking a model — technical guides, comparisons and related products in one place.
A digital lab is built from five core pieces: the scanner that digitizes geometry, design software, the milling machine that cuts the design, the sintering furnace that brings milled zirconia to final strength, and materials — zirconia blocks and premills.
The order you buy these in depends on your workflow, not the order above. If you're just starting out, begin with Setting Up a Digital Lab and setup costs; if you've already decided on one area, jump straight to that section.
Intraoral scanner
An intraoral scanner builds a 3D model directly from the patient's mouth instead of a physical impression. Model choice usually comes down to scan speed, tip comfort and software cost more than the accuracy figure on the brochure.
Products & comparison: Intraoral scanners · Model comparison
Guides: Scanner buying guide
Lab scanner
A lab scanner digitizes an impression or plaster model in-house. For a lab that receives cases as physical impressions from the dentist, this is often a cheaper entry point into a digital workflow.
Products: Lab scanners
Guides: What is digital dentistry?
CAD/CAM milling machine
The milling machine cuts the digital design from a block. Axis count, dry vs. wet milling, and spindle quality are the three factors that determine both what the machine can do and its price.
Products & comparison: Milling machines · Milling machine comparison
Guides: What is CAD/CAM milling? · Milling machine pricing · Milling machine maintenance · Common milling errors
Zirconia: blocks & blanks
Choosing zirconia is a trade-off between strength and translucency: the higher the yttria content, the more translucent — and the weaker — the restoration. That's why the choice should start from the indication, not the product name.
Products & comparison: All zirconia blocks · Multilayer · White (monolithic) · Blank comparison
Guides: Types of zirconia · White or multilayer? · Choosing a zirconia shade · Why zirconia cracks
Premills & abutments
A premill is a blank whose implant connection is already factory-machined with high precision. This guarantees implant fit and means only the upper abutment profile is milled in the lab.
Products & comparison: Premills & abutments · Premill comparison
Guides: coming soon
Zirconia sintering furnace
After milling, zirconia is still soft and larger than its final size; sintering brings it to final strength and dimensions. An incorrect sintering program is the most common cause of cracking and poor fit.
Products & comparison: Sintering furnaces · Furnace comparison
Guides: What is a sintering furnace? · Speed sintering · Cracking after sintering
Setting up a digital lab
If you're starting from zero, the order you buy in matters more than brand choice. The most sensible path is usually to remove your current bottleneck first, rather than buying all five devices at once.
Products & comparison: Used equipment · Consumables · Installation & training services
Guides: Setting up a digital lab · Setup costs · What is CAD/CAM? · What is digital dentistry?
All articles & comparisons
Article hub · All comparisons · All products · Brands · Services
FAQ
Which device should I start a digital lab with?
Start with your current bottleneck. If most of your time goes to impressions and shipping, a scanner comes first; if you outsource milling and the cost or turnaround is a pain point, start with a milling machine. Details in Setting up a digital lab.
Can you work with zirconia without a sintering furnace?
No. After milling, zirconia must be sintered to reach final strength and dimensions. The only alternative is outsourcing the sintering step, which creates a scheduling dependency.
What's the practical difference between white and multilayer zirconia?
White is uniform and stained with liquid; multilayer has a built-in color and translucency gradient. Full comparison in White vs. multilayer.
Is a 4-axis machine enough, or do I need 5-axis?
4-axis is enough for copings, crowns and short bridges. 5-axis becomes necessary for complex geometry — such as angled implant cases. See the milling machine comparison.
Where do I get pricing for this equipment?
Pricing is on request since it depends on the day's exchange rate and device configuration. Send us your use case and volume on WhatsApp for a matching quote.