How to outsource exocad dental CAD design — a practical guide

Outsourcing can help a lab cover design overflow or an indication its team does not routinely handle. This guide explains what to look for in a remote partner and what to include in your first case brief.

What “outsourcing exocad design” actually means

A remote studio builds your cases natively in exocad — your software — and delivers finished .dentalProject or STL files back to you. You keep the mill, the patient relationship, and the clinical outcome. You stop doing the CAD.

That means no exocad licence transfer, no sending a dongle, no remote desktop session. The studio has its own licensed seats. You send case information; they return design files.

What to look for in a remote exocad partner

• Delivers the files you need — if you expect to review or adjust the design in exocad, confirm the delivered project is native and compatible with your version. If you only need STL files for production, confirm their scope.
• Knows your implant libraries — implant and abutment work is library-dependent. Confirm they have access to the systems you send most (Straumann, Nobel, Osstem, Dentsply, etc.). See our implant restorative CAD service for the implant workflows we support.
• Clear case-submission process — a good partner has a defined handoff: how you send the case, what they need, when you hear back. Vague processes create delays.
• Clear revision terms — confirm what can be changed before final approval and whether an extra stage incurs a charge. Our revisions are included until you approve.
• Clear price and tooth count — confirm the number of teeth to be designed, including in full-arch work, before design starts. See our dental CAD pricing for the per-tooth tiers.

The four-step handoff, in practice

1. Submit case details. Indication, tooth numbers, material, library preference and any notes on the prep. Our inquiry form does not accept files; we agree a secure transfer method after you send the brief.
2. Scan transfer and case approval. Transfer your anonymized scan files by the agreed method. We confirm receipt, clarify anything unclear and tell you when the design clock starts.
3. Design and delivery. A designer builds the case in exocad — scan base, margin definition, anatomical build-up, contact and occlusal verification. You receive the finished design within the agreed turnaround, with a 12-hour standard for approved cases.
4. Review and revise. Review the agreed project or STL files and any supplied views. Request changes with specific notes before approval.

Illustrative first-case walkthrough

This example shows the handoff process; it is not a completed customer case or a claim about a particular restoration. Suppose a lab needs one posterior zirconia crown and wants both an editable exocad project and an STL export.

1. Inquiry. The lab describes the indication, tooth number, material, scanner, production method and preferred contacts and margins in the form. It does not attach patient records to the form.
2. Scope and records. We reply to agree a way to transfer anonymized preparation, opposing-arch and bite scans. We confirm that the files are usable, the output files, the turnaround, the designed tooth count and total before design starts. Each designed tooth is charged separately; the first two CAD elements are free for a new trial.
3. Design review. We prepare the design in exocad and return the agreed project and STL for the lab to inspect. The lab checks the margin, contacts, occlusion and fit to its production method, then requests any changes before approval.
4. Production. Once the lab approves the files, it handles milling, finishing and delivery to its own customer. The actual records and steps vary by indication; a full-arch or implant case may require more references, but the CAD price still follows the confirmed designed tooth count.

What information to include with each case

The more context you provide upfront, the fewer the revision rounds. At minimum, include:

• Indication and tooth number(s)
• Restoration material (zirconia, emax, PMMA, wax, resin)
• Tooth form library preference, if you use one consistently
• Implant system and scan body identifier (for implant cases)
• Opposing arch scan or articulation data, if available
• Any design preferences: contact tightness, emergence profile, occlusal morphology style

For bars, hybrids and provisionals, see our full-arch and All-on-X design service for illustrative workflow views and the details to include with a design quote.

What file formats to expect back

If you need to adjust a design in your own exocad seat, ask for the native .dentalProject and confirm version compatibility. If a production partner only needs geometry, agree on the required STL exports before work starts.

Clarify this with your studio upfront, and confirm exocad version compatibility — ideally they’re running a recent DentalCAD version or will confirm which version the project file was built in.

Is the quality different from in-house?

It depends entirely on the studio. Red flags: designers not working natively in exocad, high case volumes per designer with no capacity control, no revision policy, or vague turnaround commitments. Green flags: designs that respect your margin prep geometry, achieve your preferred contact dimensions, and require no adjustment at the mill beyond what you’d expect from any competent designer.

The most reliable test is real work: two CAD elements (teeth) are free, and they can come from one case or two different cases. Judge the actual output before committing volume.

See how our exocad design services support dental labs and clinics before sending your first case.

Local dental CAD service details and pricing are available for laboratories in Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.