Design instructions
How to write a dental CAD design brief your designer can use
Make it like our usual work is difficult to act on when a designer has never seen your usual work. A reusable preference profile can shorten repeated explanations, while a case-specific brief records what differs today. Keep those two layers distinct so an old default cannot silently override a new instruction.
The short answer
Use a controlled lab preference profile plus a short case brief. Identify the restoration, tooth-numbering system, software/version, approved material or component references, input files, requested outputs and reviewer. Write exceptions explicitly and ask the designer to flag conflicting or incomplete instructions before starting.
Lab workflow templates
Download a blank CSV to adapt for your lab. Use the agreed secure channel for completed case records.
Separate lab defaults from this case
Give the reusable profile an ID, version, approval date and owner. Include preferred terminology, supported software workflow, reference views and review procedure. Use only preferences approved by the lab; copying another supplier’s generic settings does not establish suitability for your materials or production process.
- Record the profile version on every case.
- Put case-specific exceptions in a clearly named section.
Identify the restoration and relevant references
State the service and unit count, tooth notation, intended material workflow and required component or library references. If the lab specifies a numeric parameter, include its unit and approved context. Do not replace missing instructions with guessed universal cement-gap, contact or thickness values. Uncertain technical choices belong with the responsible lab reviewer.
- Differentiate crowns, custom abutments, model work and reviewed full-arch scope.
- Confirm library identity and compatibility rather than identifying a component from appearance alone.
Label inputs by role and version
List the prepared arch, antagonist, bite and other relevant references by file name and purpose. State what is missing and which files supersede earlier exports. A screenshot can explain a specific request but cannot restore missing editable project data. Match the package to the receiving software and task.
- Use a de-identified case ID across the brief and files.
- Keep the file manifest with the accepted input version.
Write feedback as an observable request
Replace improve the anatomy with a specific location, reference view and intended change. Explain whether a marked area shows an approved target, an example or a question. Consolidate conflicting messages before sending them. If the prescription and preference profile disagree, define who resolves the conflict rather than asking the designer to choose silently.
- Reference the tooth or component and current design version.
- Ask for acknowledgement of unresolved questions before work proceeds.
Define delivery and approval before handoff
Specify preview, editable project and output-file requirements separately, with the target software/version and review deadline. Name the person who can accept the design. Keep delivery, design approval and downstream production release distinct. Software documentation is useful for locating job notes and settings; it does not replace your lab’s prescription.
- Retain the final brief and the approved version together.
- Update the shared profile only after the lab approves a reusable change.
Frequently asked questions
Can one preference profile cover every case type?
Use a shared core where appropriate, then separate restoration-specific requirements and exceptions. A crown profile does not automatically define abutment or full-arch instructions.
Should screenshots replace written instructions?
Use both when helpful. Tie the screenshot to an identified view and version, and state the requested action in words. Supply the agreed source files separately.
What should we send Mocoore first?
Describe the workflow, restoration scope, existing preference profile and expected outputs. Agree a suitable transfer channel before sending a de-identified representative case.
