Resources

Dental lab glossary

60+ technical terms defined. Materials, processes, clinical-lab coordination, regulation, shades, and classifications. Quick reference whenever you need it.

Clinical crown visible surface · VITA Margin equigingival · subgingival Canal pulp + nerve Root + apex periodontal ligament FDI 26

3

3Shape Dental System
3Shape CAD software, an alternative to exocad. Integrated with TRIOS scanners.

A

Abutment
Prosthetic pillar over an implant. Connects the implant to the crown. Can be stock (prefabricated) or custom (CAD/CAM).

B

BAA (Business Associate Agreement)
Legal agreement under HIPAA between a clinic (covered entity) and a software vendor (business associate) authorizing the handling of clinical data.

C

CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing)
Computer-aided manufacturing. Software generates the mill's toolpaths from the CAD design.
Characterization
Manual artistic staining technique applied to the ceramic core before glazing. Replicates natural tooth variations.
Veneer
Thin restoration bonded to the facial surface of the tooth. Primarily esthetic use.
CBCT
Cone Beam Computed Tomography. Dental volumetric tomography. Generates DICOM files with 3D views of maxilla, mandible, sinuses, and nerves. Essential for implant planning.
CFDI 4.0
Comprobante Fiscal Digital por Internet, version 4.0. Mandatory fiscal format in Mexico.
Cobalt-chromium
Metal alloy used for removable partial denture frameworks and abutments. Biocompatible, corrosion resistant.
Firing (ceramic)
Ceramic baking process. Performed in multiple cycles: opaque, dentin, enamel, glaze.
Casting
Traditional metal fabrication technique. A wax pattern is created, invested, and the metal is cast. Gradually being replaced by CNC milling.
Single crown
Full restoration for a single tooth. May be monolithic or layered.

D

DICOM
Standard medical imaging format (CBCT, radiographs). Includes patient and study metadata. Used in implant cases to design surgical guides.
Lithium disilicate
Technical name for e.max. High-strength ceramic glass.

E

E.max
Lithium disilicate ceramic from IPS (Ivoclar Vivadent). Strength 360-400 MPa. Excellent esthetics due to translucency. Used for veneers, anterior crowns, and premolars.
Intraoral scanner (IOS)
Device that captures dental anatomy directly in the patient's mouth. Common models: iTero, TRIOS, Medit, Primescan, Aoralscan.
exocad
Leading dental CAD design software for laboratories. Used to design crowns, bridges, veneers, abutments, removables, and surgical guides.

F

Clinical dental photography
Standardized with cross-polarization and a shade reference tab. Lets the lab match color precisely.
CNC milling
Subtractive manufacturing process. A computerized milling machine carves the restoration from a block of material (zirconia, metal, PMMA).

G

Glazing
Final layer applied to ceramics to provide surface gloss and finish. Fired at 700-800°C.
Surgical guide
Device that guides implant placement with sub-millimeter precision. Designed in CAD from CBCT plus digital scan data.

H

HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. US medical data privacy law. Requires a signed BAA with software vendors.

I

Dental implant
Artificial titanium (or zirconia) root osseointegrated into the maxillary or mandibular bone.
Dental 3D printing
Additive process. Prints layer by layer with photopolymer resins. Used for models, surgical guides, temporaries, and removables.
Indirect restoration (incrustación)
Synonym for inlay/onlay in some Hispanic markets.
Inlay
Intracoronal restoration that does not cover the cusps. Replaces the occlusal surface after caries removal.

K

Kennedy Class I
Removable partial denture. Bilateral edentulous areas posterior to the remaining teeth.
Kennedy Class II
Unilateral posterior edentulous area.
Kennedy Class III
Unilateral edentulous area with natural teeth both anterior and posterior to the space.
Kennedy Class IV
Single bilateral anterior edentulous area (crosses the midline).

L

LFPDPPP
Ley Federal de Protección de Datos Personales en Posesión de Particulares. Mexican privacy law equivalent to GDPR.
LOPDGDD
Ley Orgánica de Protección de Datos (Spain). Spanish national adaptation of GDPR.

M

MDR
Medical Device Regulation EU 2017/745. Regulates medical devices in the European Union. Surgical guides and custom restorations are Class IIa under MDR.

N

Nesting
Optimization of how parts are positioned within a block or disc to minimize material waste.

O

Onlay
Larger inlay that covers one or more cusps. Conservative alternative to a crown.
Overflow
When workload exceeds the lab's capacity. Cases are either outsourced to another lab or refused.

P

PFM (Porcelain Fused to Metal)
Metal-ceramic. Metal core layered with porcelain. Strength 500-800 MPa. Traditional, economical technique, but esthetically inferior to zirconia or e.max.
Production pipeline
Case workflow from intake to delivery. Typical stages: intake, design, milling, sintering, glazing, QC, shipping.
PLY
3D file format that extends STL with color and texture. Used by color scanners (iTero 5D, Medit i700).
PMMA
Polymethyl methacrylate. Material used for temporary restorations, either 3D-printed or milled. Not definitive — used between 2 weeks and 12 months.
Hybrid prosthesis
Fixed implant prosthesis that the lab can retrieve (vs. permanently cemented).
Removable denture
Restoration that the patient can remove. Partial (replaces some teeth) or complete (replaces all).
Bridge
Restoration that replaces one or more missing teeth. Supported by abutments (crowns over natural teeth or implants).

R

Digital Rx
Lab prescription structured electronically. Replaces handwritten or PDF prescriptions. Includes tooth, material, shade, margins, and deadline.
Remake
Case that must be redone due to fit, shade, margin, or specification errors. Typical rate 2-8%; industry average 3.8%. Average cost 120-400 USD per remake.
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation. EU privacy law. Applies to any company processing EU citizens' data. Fines up to 20M EUR or 4% of global revenue.

S

Sintering
Thermal process for zirconia. After milling, the piece is fired at 1400-1600°C for 2-12 hours to reach final density and strength.
FDI notation
Universal dental notation. Each tooth has a 2-digit number (quadrant + position). E.g., 11 = upper right central incisor.
Universal Numbering System (US)
Numbering 1-32 from upper right distal to lower left distal. Used primarily in the US.
STL
Standard 3D file format for dental scans. Represents the surface as a triangular mesh. No color, no texture — only geometry. Universal: accepted by all CAD systems.

T

Shade taking
Clinical process of determining the correct color for the restoration. Performed with a shade guide under natural light, confirmed with photography.
Shade
Color of the tooth. Described on standardized scales: VITA Classical (A1-D4), VITA 3D-Master (coordinates of value, chroma, hue).
Traceability
Complete record of every material, every technician, and every step in case production. Required by regulation (MDR in the EU, FDA in the US).
Try-in
Intraoral trial in the patient's mouth before final finishing. Verifies fit, occlusion, and esthetics. Performed with a bisque-fired (unglazed) restoration.

V

Verifactu
Mandatory electronic invoicing system in Spain since 2025. Requires verifiable invoice issuance with structured metadata.
VITA 3D-Master
Modern scale. 29 values structured by value (1-5), chroma (0-3), and hue (L, M, R).
VITA Classical
Traditional shade scale. 16 values grouped by hue (A reddish, B yellowish, C grayish, D reddish-gray).

Z

Monolithic zirconia
Zirconia restoration produced from a single block (no ceramic veneering). High fracture resistance (900-1200 MPa), though esthetically less translucent than e.max. Ideal for molars and posterior crowns.

Apply these terms in a structured workflow.

TrazaLab structures every dental case with consistent vocabulary: VITA shade, validated material, FDI tooth, GDPR-compliant traceability. No ambiguity between clinic and lab.

Try TrazaLab for 14 days →