Before using dental photogrammetry data in CAD/CAM, register it with the intraoral scan and verify the implant scan-body identities and library mapping. Clean conservatively: implant-position geometry is the reference being transferred, and trimming, smoothing, or filling holes can change data in ways that are not established as safe across scanners and CAD applications.
What each scan contributes
Extraoral photogrammetry (EPG) records implant positions, not the surrounding soft-tissue morphology. The intraoral scan (IOS) supplies the soft-tissue contours needed for restoration design. As the ITI workflow guide puts it, “EPG only captures the three-dimensional positions of implants and does not record the surrounding soft tissue morphology.” ITI’s step-by-step workflow guide, published April 14, 2026, describes combining the two datasets into an integrated model.
Keep the roles distinct: photogrammetry provides implant-location data; IOS provides the tissue surface. Neither should be treated as a substitute for the other in this workflow.
Prepare and identify the scan-body data
Before registration, confirm which scan body and implant or library type the software should use. A mismatch at this stage can undermine the meaning of the alignment even if the meshes appear to fit.
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In the version-specific SHINING 3D IntraoralScan 3.5.6 instructions, the user selects the manufacturer, implant type and subtype (or imports a local file), matches the coded scan body, then marks it to a tooth position. Those are instructions for that software version and workflow, not universal menu steps.
When choosing a physical coded scan body, check compatibility with the scanner, implant connection, and software library in use; compatibility should not be assumed across systems. SHINING 3D’s separate IntraoralScan 3.5.6 introduction gives a 300-use recommendation for that manufacturer’s coded or cap scan bodies only. It should not be applied to third-party products.
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Register implant positions with the intraoral scan
Registration brings the implant-position dataset and the tissue scan into a shared coordinate system for design. The ITI example uses a staged reference: first align IOS scan bodies with standard scan bodies in a database, then match those standard bodies to the scan bodies in the extraoral photogrammetry scan. The resulting model combines implant locations from EPG with soft-tissue contours from IOS.
For PIC files, PIC Dental describes importing and aligning a PIC STL with standard mesh-alignment features in dental CAD software. That is the vendor’s description of its workflow, not independent evidence that all CAD packages or registration methods behave identically.
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SHINING 3D IntraoralScan 3.5.6 example
SHINING 3D’s documented intraoral photogrammetry sequence includes jaw scanning, coded scan-body scanning, gingiva alignment, scan-body conversion and marking, and a bite check. If automatic alignment fails in this workflow, its manual fallback is to select three pairs of corresponding points and preview the alignment before proceeding. Treat this as a software-specific recovery method, not a general clinical protocol.
Clean conservatively and inspect the result
Mesh cleanup and registration are different operations. The Open Tech Dental wiki lists data editing, alignment, mesh generation, mesh editing, implant-library alignment, and CAD export as separate functions; its wizard also lists base cutting and automatic cleaning. It does not establish a universally safe recipe for cleaning photogrammetry scans.
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- Preserve the original source files so you can return to the unmodified data if an edit or alignment produces an unexpected result.
- Follow the scanner, implant-library, and CAD software instructions for supported editing and registration steps.
- Verify scan-body identity and library mapping, then inspect the registered model and alignment result before using it for design.
- Do not assume trimming, smoothing, hole filling, or remeshing is harmless around geometry that defines implant position. The available documentation does not establish a cross-platform cleanup sequence that preserves all clinically important geometry.
What accuracy figures can—and cannot—tell you
An in-vitro study of intraoral photogrammetry analyzed 146 implant positions and reported a mean 3D Euclidean deviation of 57.22 ± 27.41 μm and a mean angular deviation of 0.26° ± 0.19°. These are results from that study’s test conditions, not a clinical guarantee or a universal acceptance tolerance for every scanner, registration workflow, or restoration. The study is available in PubMed Central.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Handoff to CAD/CAM design
Once the registration and library mapping have been checked, the integrated model can be handed off for CAD/CAM design. In the ITI example, EPG contributes the implant locations and IOS contributes the soft-tissue contours. The cited workflow does not define prosthesis-design steps or fit-acceptance criteria, so those decisions must follow the applicable clinical and manufacturer guidance.
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