SHINING Flow Explained: A Scan-Design-Print Platform for Dental Clinics

Does your dental clinic face this challenge during digital transformation? You need to manually transfer patient files between your intraoral scanner, design software, slicing software, and 3D printer. This fragmented clinical workflow increases the risk of errors and prolongs patient visits.

SHINING Flow is the platform designed to solve this problem. It integrates scanning, design, and printing into a single ecosystem, eliminating the need to switch between software or manage files across different systems.

What is SHINING Flow?

SHINING Flow is SHINING 3D DENTAL’s connected ecosystem that integrates scanning, design, and printing. Instead of exporting files between multiple software or systems, clinicians can manage the complete restorative workflow through a unified platform.

The workflow is built around cloud collaboration. Scan data can be uploaded immediately after acquisition, organized by case, and sent directly into the design workflow. Team members can access projects from different locations, making communication between clinics and laboratories more efficient.

Once the design is completed, design files are transferred to compatible dental 3D printing solutions to produce dental restorations or models.

How Does SHINING Flow Work?

The digital dental workflow generally follows four stages.

Step 1: Scan

Every case begins with an intraoral scan. Using compatible intraoral scanners (such as Aoralscan Elite), dentists capture digital impressions of the patient's oral structure. For aesthetic restorations or full-arch implant cases, combining intraoral data with facial scan data helps achieve optimal occlusal and jaw relationships. Then, the scan data is uploaded directly into the cloud platform for immediate access.

This digital approach offers several advantages:

• Faster data acquisition

• Better patient comfort

• Immediate case review

• Easy cloud storage

• Simple communication with laboratories

Step 2: Design

After scanning, the case enters the design stage. Dentists can begin designing restorations within the cloud platform. You can choose to use the platform's AI design tools, which can generate anatomy-driven crown morphology in 2 minutes.

And if you prefer, Exocad and other third-party software are fully compatible.

Step 3: Print

Once your design is confirmed, the printer receives the file and begins printing. The SHINING 3D Ceramix-Nano capsule 3D printer can fabricate permanent restorations, including crowns, bridges, veneers, inlays, and onlays, with a single crown printing in just 8-11 minutes.

Step 4: Deliver

After printing and post-processing, the restoration can be tried on, have its occlusion adjusted, or be reprinted. Patients no longer need to make multiple appointments, and dentists can improve their practice efficiency.

Which Dental Applications Can SHINING Flow Support?

SHINING Flow can adapt to various restoration workflows, including:

• SHINING FLOW ONX: Supports All-on-X implant workflows. Combines SHINING 3D IPG intraoral scanner and 3D face scanner for passive fit and optimal occlusion.

• SHINING FLOW IMPLANT: Enables precise surgical guides and abutments by integrating CBCT and intraoral scan data.

• SHINING FLOW C&B: Handles routine crown and bridge cases, generating single crowns, inlays, onlays, and multi-unit bridges based on patients’ occlusal patterns.

• SHINING FLOW ORTHO: Facilitates orthodontic planning and appliance production, including aligners and splints.

• SHINING FLOW DENTURE: Simplifies full and partial denture fabrication. It coordinates base modeling with natural tooth arrangement for efficient 3D printing.

• SHINING FLOW DSD: Powers digital smile design workflow. Clinicians can create virtual patient models, allowing patients to visualize treatment outcomes.

What are the Benefits for Dental Clinics?

SHINING Flow aims to simplify the dental digital workflow across daily clinical activities:

1. Reduced Manual Data Transfer

Traditional workflows often require exporting and importing multiple STL files between different programs. Each manual transfer introduces opportunities for wrong file selection, version confusion, or compatibility problems.

SHINING Flow integrates the entire workflow from scanning to printing, reducing the need to manually handle and transfer data.

2. Reduced Software Switching

Multiple software platforms add operational complexity. Dental teams must learn different interfaces and understand varying file requirements. With SHINING Flow, dentists can complete scanning, CAD design, and print slicing all on a single platform.

3. Streamlined Training

Every additional software package requires staff training. A unified workflow makes it easier for the team to get started. This can be particularly valuable for multi-doctor clinics with growing teams.

4. Flexible Design Support

Clinics can use SHINING Flow's AI design tools to design and generate print files with one click, or they can choose to use Exocad and other third-party software, offering flexibility for practices with different workflow preferences.

Is SHINING Flow an Open or Closed Workflow?

SHINING Flow is built on an open workflow.

On the hardware side, it works seamlessly with most major intraoral scanner brands, so if your clinic already has a scanner, you can connect it directly to the cloud platform without investing in a new device.

On the materials side, SHINING 3D DENTAL supports an open material system. SHINING Dent provides 13 resin options for applications including splints, dentures, crowns and bridges, models, surgical guides, etc. SHINING 3D DENTAL also partners with leading dental material brands to offer more flexibility. Please note that some partners are currently in the validation process.

How Does SHINING Flow Differ from a Traditional Clinic Workflow?

Traditional digital dentistry often relies on separate software systems connected by manual file transfer. SHINING Flow integrates these stages into one connected process.

Overall, SHINING Flow reduces repetitive manual operations while improving visibility across every stage of the dental digital workflow. Clinics can manage scanning, design, print preparation, printing, and delivery within a connected cloud platform instead of switching between different systems. This makes the workflow easier to standardize, especially for clinics that are expanding their digital dentistry services.

If you are considering the digital transformation of your clinics, contact SHINING 3D DENTAL now for detailed information!