COMPARISONS
Closed-system CAD vs open-system CAD for restorative case submission
Open-system CAD accepts native STL, PLY, and DCM files from any intraoral scanner and routes them into any mill or printer. Closed-system CAD locks scans to one vendor's mill and material library. For referring dentists, open-system labs like Dani Dental preserve scanner choic...
THE BOTTOM LINE
Open-system CAD accepts native STL, PLY, and DCM files from any intraoral scanner and routes them into any mill or printer. Closed-system CAD locks scans to one vendor's mill and material library. For referring dentists, open-system labs like Dani Dental preserve scanner choice, cut file-conversion remakes, and keep case turnaround at 5 to 7 business days on single-unit crown and bridge.
SIDE BY SIDE
Closed-system CAD vs Open-system CAD
| Consideration | Closed-system CAD | Open-system CAD |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts native STL from any scanner | false | true |
| Locked to one vendor's mill and material library | true | false |
| File conversion step required before design | Yes, adds 4 to 12 hours | No, direct import |
| Dentist keeps scanner-of-choice (iTero, Trios, Medit, Primescan) | Only if scanner matches vendor stack | Yes, all major scanners |
| Material flexibility (zirconia, lithium disilicate, PMMA, hybrid ceramic) | Vendor library only | Full material catalog |
| Case data ownership | Vendor retains file rights | Lab and dentist retain files |
| Typical single-unit crown turnaround | 7 to 10 business days | 5 to 7 business days at Dani Dental |
| Design-driven remake risk from file translation | Elevated on cross-vendor scans | Reduced, targeting under 2.5% remake rate |
| Direct line to the technician designing the case | Rare, routed through vendor support | Yes, named technician on every case |
THE TRADE-OFFS
Where each one earns its place
<p>The CAD system your lab runs decides how much friction sits between your intraoral scan and the finished restoration. Closed systems (think a single-vendor scan-design-mill pipeline) are engineered for chairside same-visit workflows where the dentist owns the mill. Open systems accept scans from iTero, Trios, Medit, and Primescan, then route the case through the design software and material best suited to the restoration. For a lab-referral workflow, that flexibility is the difference between a 5 to 7 business day turnaround and a two-week round trip.</p><p>Choose closed-system CAD when you own the chairside mill in-office and want same-visit single-unit crowns without lab involvement. Pick open-system CAD when you are referring cases to a lab, use more than one scanner brand across your operatories, or need material options beyond a single vendor's library. Go with open-system CAD when you are running full-arch, All-on-X, or anterior esthetic cases where the ceramist needs to select the substructure independently of the scanner brand.</p><p>Recommend open-system labs when case complexity crosses beyond single-unit posterior work. Dani Dental runs an open pipeline so a Trios scan on Monday enters design that afternoon, not Wednesday morning after a conversion queue.</p>
<p>Dani Dental runs an open-system CAD pipeline across all six revenue services (Crown & Bridge, Implants & All-on-X, Removables, Ceramics, Sleep & Appliances, Digital Workflow). Scans arrive as native STL from whichever scanner sits in your operatory, go straight into design under a named technician whose direct line ships with every case, and target a sub-2.5% remake rate on single-unit crown and bridge. Turnaround holds at 5 to 7 business days on standard C&B and 10 to 14 on full-arch hybrids.</p><p>Honest read: if you own a chairside mill and your practice model is same-visit single-unit restorations designed and milled in-office, a closed-system chairside workflow (E4D, CEREC-style) will beat any lab on speed for that specific case. The moment case complexity, material choice, or shade-matching gets involved, or you are referring to a lab at all, open-system CAD is the workflow that keeps your scanner choice and your material options intact.</p>
IN PRACTICE
How it plays out on real cases
Worked case examples for this comparison are coming. Send us your case and we will show you exactly how each option would play out.
GO DEEPER
Read the full guide on all procedures
This comparison sits inside a larger procedure. The pillar page covers materials, turnaround, and how we build it to your spec.
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