To learn how to send dental cases to lab, register on Vietnam Dental Lab’s website, open Send a Case, upload the intraoral scans and a clear design guide, then review the returned production-ready files. The key to a smooth handoff is matching complete, readable case data with precise clinical and technical instructions. This guide explains the workflow, file preparation, review points, and common submission issues.
What Sending a Dental Case to a Digital Lab Involves
Sending a dental case to a digital lab means transferring the digital records and instructions needed to design a restoration or other dental appliance. Vietnam Dental Lab (VNDL), based in Ho Chi Minh City, works as a remote digital design and outsourcing partner for clinics and laboratories.
Understand the digital handoff
A digital case submission is more than uploading a scan. The lab needs both case data—such as intraoral scans—and a design guide or prescription that explains what the design should achieve. These inputs give the design team context for preparing files to the client’s requirements.
At VNDL, the workflow is designed around converting submitted scans and clinical instructions into production-ready digital designs. The returned deliverables include editable VNDL design files and STL files intended for manufacturing workflows such as milling or 3D printing. The lab’s certified dental technicians process submitted files according to the provided requirements.
That division of work matters. The clinic or laboratory supplies accurate records and communicates the intended design; the digital design team uses that information to prepare the case files. It does not replace the clinician’s diagnosis, treatment planning, or final review.
Know which cases can be submitted
VNDL’s digital design services cover several types of work. Crown and bridge design includes crowns, bridges, copings, abutments, inlays, onlays, post cores, screw-retained frames, temporary pontics, and veneers. The service also includes guided implant surgery planning, clear aligner design, and Digital Smile Design (DSD).
For larger or more specialized cases, VNDL offers LUCID Premium Design for high-aesthetic, large-mouth cases, supported by a custom design guide, and dedicated All-on-X design support for complex implant-retained full-arch restorations.
Before submitting, identify the case type and intended output. A single crown, a multi-unit bridge, and an All-on-X restoration do not call for the same design communication. Clear categorization helps the team understand the assignment and gives the client a more useful basis for reviewing the returned files.
For background on how lab services fit into digital workflows, see this overview of the role of a dental laboratory.
Prepare the Files and Instructions Before You Submit
A well-prepared dental case pairs usable scan files with a specific design guide. The table below summarizes the key submission elements and their purpose; confirm that each item is ready before uploading through the lab’s case-submission portal.
Case submission specifications
| Submission element | Typical format or content | Practical check before upload |
|---|---|---|
| Intraoral scan data | Typically STL or DICOM, depending on the case and available records | Confirm the correct files are included and open or export as expected in your workflow |
| Design guide or prescription | Written instructions describing the requested design | State the case type, restoration or appliance, and relevant design preferences |
| Case category | Crown and bridge, implant-related, aligner, DSD, or another supported service | Select or describe the work clearly so the request is easy to interpret |
| Manufacturing-ready output | Editable VNDL design file and STL file | Identify which deliverables your production workflow requires |
| Case reference details | Information used by your team to identify and track the submission | Use a consistent reference that supports your internal case tracking |
Match the scan and guide to the intended design
A scan provides digital geometry, but it does not necessarily communicate every design preference. The design guide should therefore add the context needed to interpret the request. For a crown or bridge, specify the intended restoration and any relevant preferences your workflow uses. For aesthetic cases, be especially deliberate: VNDL’s LUCID service uses a custom design guide to communicate preferences for high-aesthetic, large-mouth cases.
For implant work, describe the requested design support clearly. All-on-X cases are complex, implant-retained full-arch cases, so the submission should make the scope of the requested design understandable rather than relying on an ambiguous case label.
Keep instructions concise, but do not make them incomplete. A short, structured guide is more useful than a long note that mixes essential requirements with unrelated background. If the case has several components, list them separately and identify how they relate to one another.
Treat file readiness as a workflow control
Before upload, verify that the intended scan files are present and that the design guide refers to the same case. File naming and internal case references are useful controls for avoiding mix-ups, particularly when a team prepares several submissions at once. They are recommended operational practices, not a substitute for following the portal’s required fields.
Use only information that is appropriate to share for the case, and follow your organization’s patient-data handling policies and applicable privacy obligations. If a file cannot be exported or opened in the expected format, resolve that issue before submission rather than assuming the design team can reconstruct missing information.
How to Send a Dental Case to the Lab: Step by Step
To send a case to VNDL, first create an account, then use Send a Case to submit the scan data and design guide. The design team processes the files against the supplied requirements and returns production-ready design files for client review and manufacturing.
Step 1: Register and open the case submission area
Start by registering through the Sign Up portal on the official Vietnam Dental Lab website. Once your account is set up, navigate to Send a Case to begin the submission. This is the defined starting point for the case workflow; do not assume an unregistered email or an informal message substitutes for a portal submission.
If your organization has more than one person preparing cases, agree internally on who creates the account, who submits each case, and how your team tracks the case reference. That simple responsibility split helps reduce duplicate uploads and makes it easier to find the source instructions later.
New customers looking to test a workflow should verify the available account and service details directly through the portal. The published service information describes account registration and case submission but does not establish that a free trial is included. Avoid planning around an assumed trial period or unlisted onboarding feature.
Step 2: Upload the scans and complete the design guide
Upload the relevant intraoral scan data, typically in STL or DICOM format, and provide the design guide or prescription. Make sure the scan and guide describe the same patient case and requested work. For a multi-unit or complex case, organize the instructions so the requested components and design preferences are easy to distinguish.
The guide should communicate the intended output and the details that matter to your design requirements. A useful test is whether another trained person in your clinic or laboratory could read the guide and understand what is being requested without having to infer essential information.
VNDL’s service spans crown and bridge design, guided implant surgery planning, clear aligners, and DSD. State the service type clearly, especially when the case is a specialized aesthetic design or All-on-X project. The more accurately the submission describes the assignment, the more directly the design team can work from it.
Step 3: Review the returned files before manufacturing
VNDL’s certified dental technicians process the submitted files according to the supplied requirements and return editable VNDL design files and STL files. The client should then review the delivered files against the original case instructions before sending them into production.
Use a deliberate review sequence: confirm that the returned files correspond to the correct case, check that the expected components are present, and compare the design with the prescription. If the files do not appear to match the guide, clarify the discrepancy before milling or printing. This review step is a practical quality control, not a replacement for clinical judgment or your established manufacturing checks.
For a broader overview of outsourcing workflows, consult this practical guide to digital dental lab outsourcing. The same principle applies across case types: provide traceable inputs, communicate requirements clearly, and verify outputs before production.
Avoid Common Submission Problems and Improve Case Quality
Most preventable submission issues arise from incomplete instructions, mismatched files, or unclear case scope. A consistent preflight check—confirming the case identity, scan set, requested design, and guide—helps teams catch these issues before the design work begins.
Common pitfalls and practical fixes
Pitfall: Uploading scans without a design guide. Scan data alone may not communicate the intended restoration, appliance, or aesthetic preferences. Include a prescription that identifies the requested work and important design requirements.
Pitfall: Using a vague case description. Labels such as “implant case” do not explain whether the request is for a component, a guided surgery plan, or full-arch design support. Name the intended service and define the requested scope in the guide.
Pitfall: Mixing files from different cases. This can happen when several cases are exported or uploaded in sequence. Use a consistent internal reference, verify the files before upload, and make sure the guide identifies the same case as the scan data.
Pitfall: Assuming the returned file is ready without review. Production-ready describes the intended use of the deliverables; it does not remove the client’s responsibility to check that the output meets the submitted requirements. Compare the returned design with the prescription before manufacturing.
Apply the workflow to real case types
For a routine crown, a laboratory might submit the scan and a guide identifying the crown design request and any relevant preferences. The practical focus is on matching the correct scan to a clear, case-specific instruction and checking the returned design before production.
For an aesthetic case involving a larger area, the client may consider VNDL’s LUCID Premium Design service. Its custom design guide is intended to help communicate preferences for high-aesthetic cases. That makes the quality of the design brief especially important: record the preferences in the guide rather than relying on informal assumptions.
For an implant-retained full-arch case, the All-on-X team provides specialized design support. Because this is a complex case type, the submission should identify the scope precisely and provide the relevant scan data and instructions. These examples illustrate how to adapt the same core handoff—case identification, files, guide, and review—to different design needs without treating every case as interchangeable.
Scale the Workflow with Clear Controls: Alex’s 2026 Perspective
In 2026, the practical value of digital outsourcing is not simply file transfer; it is the ability to manage design capacity while keeping case instructions and reviews consistent. Alex’s perspective, informed by more than a decade in global dental laboratory workflows and CAD/CAM integration, is to treat each submission as a traceable production handoff rather than an isolated upload.
Build repeatable intake and review controls
Laboratories and clinics can standardize submissions with a short internal checklist:
- Confirm the case reference and requested service.
- Verify that the required scan files are present and in an expected format.
- Complete the design guide with case-specific requirements.
- Upload through the account’s Send a Case area.
- Review returned VNDL and STL files against the guide before manufacturing.
This process does not require a new software system. It creates a shared minimum standard for the people who prepare, submit, and review cases. Teams can also track operational measures such as incomplete submissions, clarification requests, and rework. Establish a baseline using your own records before setting improvement targets; a universal percentage benchmark would not account for differences in case mix, staffing, or existing workflows.
VNDL reports that it has designed more than five million units over the past decade. That capacity provides context for its experience with outsourced digital design, but each client still benefits from maintaining its own submission controls and review responsibilities.
Decide where outsourcing fits—and define boundaries
Outsourcing can help dental laboratories manage high-volume crown and bridge work without increasing in-house design headcount. Clinics can also use external digital design support to offload time-consuming CAD tasks, leaving their staff more time for patient-facing work. Specialized support may be relevant when a team needs assistance with complex All-on-X cases or wants a structured design guide for high-aesthetic work.
The decision should be based on workflow fit, not on an assumption that every task should be outsourced. Identify which case types are suitable for external design, how staff will prepare and check submissions, and who approves the returned files for production. Keep clinical decisions and final case acceptance with the appropriately responsible professionals in your organization.
For organizations comparing providers or building an overseas workflow, define communication responsibilities and file-handling procedures early. A clear process helps connect the remote design partner with the local team while preserving the traceability and technical review required for each case.
FAQ
What files do I need to send with a dental case?
Submit the relevant intraoral scan data—typically STL or DICOM—and a detailed design guide or prescription. The scan provides digital case geometry, while the guide communicates the requested design and relevant preferences. Make sure both refer to the same case and include the information needed to understand the assignment. The required details may vary by service, so identify whether the request concerns crown and bridge, implant planning, clear aligners, DSD, or another supported design workflow.
How do I submit a case to Vietnam Dental Lab?
Register for an account through the Sign Up portal on vietnamdentallab.com, then navigate to Send a Case. Upload the intraoral scans and provide a design guide or prescription describing the requested work. VNDL’s certified dental technicians process the submission according to the instructions and return editable VNDL design files and STL files. Review the delivered files against the guide before using them for manufacturing.
Does sending a case mean the lab makes the physical restoration?
The described service is digital dental design and outsourcing: VNDL processes scans and case instructions and returns design files intended for production. Its deliverables include editable VNDL files and STL files optimized for 3D printing or milling. The submission workflow described here is not a physical restoration shipment process. Confirm that the returned design files suit your production equipment and follow your organization’s review procedures before manufacturing.
Is there a free trial for new customers?
The available service information describes account registration and a Send a Case workflow, but it does not confirm a free trial or specify trial conditions. New customers should check the official website or contact VNDL directly to verify current account and service arrangements before submitting. Do not assume that registration includes a trial period, a particular turnaround time, or any feature that has not been confirmed by the provider.