Do labs accept digital scans or only impressions?

For general dentists and prosthodontists running modern restorative workflows, the scan-vs-impression question has a practical answer: the file format you send determines when your case clock starts. A digital scan received by 2 p.m. local time can enter CAD design the same afternoon. A physical impression arriving the same day goes through disinfection, model pour, and scanning before any design work begins. That gap is typically 24-48 hours per case.

Dani Dental accepts STL and OBJ files from all major intraoral scanner platforms, including iTero, 3Shape TRIOS, Medit, and Carestream. There is no file conversion fee. Cases submitted digitally are routed directly into the 3Shape design environment, which means the technician assigned to your case is reviewing actual scan geometry, not a proxy model. That direct path matters most on anterior full-contour cases and implant abutments where marginal fit is non-negotiable.

Impression-based cases remain fully supported. Some clinical situations still favor a physical record, particularly full-arch edentulous cases where soft-tissue detail drives the outcome. The practical point for high-volume practices: going digital on crown-and-bridge and implant single units is the fastest path through the lab. Physical impressions stay in the workflow for the cases where they genuinely earn their place.