Dental laboratories are no longer just adapting to technology—they are shaping its future. As the dental industry rapidly digitizes, it’s the lab community that’s often first to test, refine, and implement innovations that elevate patient care, improve clinical outcomes, and enable faster, more accurate workflows. Today’s labs are embracing advanced technologies not just for efficiency, but to lead with purpose—focusing on precision, consistency, and collaboration.
Every summer, Inside Dental Technology looks to industry experts for insights and perspectives on the greatest technological advancements in dental labs in terms of both how these technologies are currently impacting workflows and where they could take the field in the future. This year, we hear from three experts about how photogrammetry, AI, and intraoral scanners are transforming dental lab work.
In the full-arch space, photogrammetry has emerged as a critical tool, enabling micron-level accuracy without the need for verification jigs. As Blake Roney of S.I.N. 360 details, these systems are evolving into modular platforms that capture more than just implant positions—they verify passive fit, capture soft tissue, and streamline entire digital workflows.
At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how labs handle repetitive or time-consuming tasks. From AI-generated crown designs to automated nesting and shade matching, labs are using AI to enhance speed without compromising on quality. As Norbert Ulmer, the CEO of Gro3X, Inc., notes, the technology is moving from novelty to necessity, empowering labs to focus their talent more on complex, high-value work while AI handles the rest.
Intraoral scanning is also reaching new heights of sophistication. Eric Kukucka, DD, of Aspen Dental, highlights how today’s scanners—especially when paired with strategies like reference denture scanning—can reliably capture edentulous arches and denture surfaces, which was once considered nearly impossible. These advances allow labs to partner more closely with clinicians, offering real-time scanning services and immediate digital workflows, especially in high-demand areas like All-on-X cases.
This convergence of photogrammetry, AI, and next-generation scanning is making dental labs more than just production centers—they’re becoming digital collaborators, precision engineers, and strategic partners in the delivery of care.
The message is clear: labs are not only keeping pace—they are setting it. And as new technologies continue to emerge, it’s the labs that are charting the course for dentistry’s digital transformation. Those who invest in innovation today are building not just better prosthetics for patients—but also a more efficient and connected dental future.
