Comparison

TrazaLab vs Email. When attachments fail, cases fail.

Most dental labs still coordinate via email because it is "what we have always used." Then a surgeon sends a 60 MB STL, it bounces, the technician starts the case from the wrong file, and the remake costs $400. Here is why email was never built for dental coordination.

The real cost of Email

Why email fails for dental labs

25 MB attachment limit

Gmail: 25 MB. Outlook: 20 MB. Your average intraoral scan: 40–80 MB. A CBCT: 150–300 MB. Email was built for documents, not volumetric clinical data.

No version control

Surgeon sends STL v1. Notices error. Sends STL v2. Technician already started on v1. Nothing in email tells the technician which is current.

Fragmented threads

Reply-all chains. Forwarded chains. Subject lines that drift from "Case Garcia" to "Re: Re: Fwd: Question". Six months later you cannot find anything.

No read receipts per case

Surgeon does not know if the lab saw the case. Lab does not know if the surgeon approved the try-in photos. Everyone refreshes their inbox.

Phishing and spoofing

The #1 attack surface for dental clinics is email impersonation. "Your lab emailed us the invoice" — except it was not your lab.

No structured data

Free-form email body describes "zirconia 2M2 for tooth 26." No validation, no catalog lookup, no implant library reference. Every case is re-parsed by hand.

Line by line. Feature by feature.

Feature
Email
TrazaLab
Max attachment
20–25 MB (hard bounce above)
5 GB per file, resumable uploads (tus.io protocol)
File integrity
Email MIME conversion breaks some binary files silently
Binary-safe · SHA-256 hash verification · no conversion
Case linkage
Subject lines drift · no structured case ID
Every file and message linked to case ID · searchable
Audio messages
Not supported natively
Surgeon records audio · AI transcribes to structured Digital Rx fields
Read status
Nonexistent or per-message at best
Per-case read status · lab sees when clinic opened the case · vice versa
Authentication
Spoofable · phishing-prone
Login-bound · 2FA available · audit log per user action
Structured Rx
Free-text in email body · re-parsed by hand
Digital Rx with validated fields · tooth number · material · shade · deadline
Compliance
Unencrypted by default · no patient-data BAA
AES-256 · HIPAA-aligned · GDPR · LFPDPPP · BAA on request

Questions dental labs ask before switching

Can I forward existing email threads into TrazaLab?

Yes. Every case in TrazaLab has a unique email address. Forward any email related to that case and it attaches automatically to the case timeline. Useful for migrating from email without losing history.

Do I still need email for my dental lab?

Yes — for marketing, supplier correspondence, non-case conversations, and formal notifications. TrazaLab replaces email for case coordination specifically, not for all communication.

What about WeTransfer for the big files?

WeTransfer solves the file-size problem but nothing else. No case linkage, no prescription, no audit trail, and files expire. TrazaLab keeps files forever and links them to the case. See the TrazaLab vs WeTransfer comparison.

Is it secure to put patient files in TrazaLab?

Yes. AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit, access control per case, audit log of every view/download, and BAA available for HIPAA-covered clinics. Email, by contrast, is typically unencrypted between servers.

How long does migrating from email take?

Most labs migrate in 3–5 days: day 1 create accounts and connect partner clinics, day 2–3 move active cases, day 4–5 set up templates and integrate WhatsApp notifications. New cases go into TrazaLab immediately; old email cases can close out in email.

Your email was not designed for 5 GB STL files.

TrazaLab handles the files, the transcription, the case linkage, and the compliance — so your email can go back to being email.

Try TrazaLab free for 14 days