Dental Studio NX (Community Edition) — Free CAD/CAM Entry Point for Dentistry Context and Background Dental Studio NX (Community Edition) is a stripped-down release of a commercial dental CAD platform. It was made available so that students, researchers, and smaller clinics could explore digital workflows without paying for the full package. The community build keeps the essentials — scan handling, basic model design, and export for 3D printing or milling — while advanced automation and premium

PolyDentia CAD Tools — Focused Utilities for Dental CAD/CAM Workflows Context and Background PolyDentia CAD Tools is not a monolithic CAD suite but rather a collection of small, task-oriented programs built to handle everyday adjustments in digital dentistry. Dental labs and clinics often rely on big commercial CAD/CAM platforms, but those can be overkill for simple fixes. PolyDentia’s approach is lighter: tools for refining a scan, modifying a template, or preparing a file for milling or printi

Meshmixer — Free Mesh Editing Tool Still Useful in Dental Labs Context and Background Meshmixer started as a side project at Autodesk, more like a playground for 3D shapes than a serious design suite. Over time it ended up in unexpected places, including dental schools and labs, simply because it was free and did a few things really well. Need to patch a broken scan? Hollow a model so it prints faster? Smooth out rough surfaces on a study cast? Meshmixer became the quick fix. Even though Autodes

Skanect Free — Entry-Level 3D Scanning for Dental Labs Context and Background Skanect Free is the no-cost release of the Skanect scanning software. It was never built specifically for dentistry, but because it works with consumer depth cameras, many schools and small clinics started using it to capture basic 3D dental models. With a Kinect or Structure Sensor, staff can generate usable meshes of impressions or plaster casts. The free version has export limits, yet it remains a convenient way to

Insight3D — Open-Source Photogrammetry for Dental Applications Context and Background Insight3D started as a general-purpose photogrammetry project, aimed at building 3D models from sets of regular photographs. Over time, it found a place in dental education and research, especially where budgets don’t allow for expensive scanners. By piecing together photos of dental arches or study casts, the program can produce usable 3D meshes. For teaching labs and experimental projects, this approach gives

OrthoCAD Lite — Free Orthodontic Analysis and Treatment Planning Tool Context and Background OrthoCAD Lite is a reduced version of OrthoCAD, designed to provide basic orthodontic functionality without the licensing costs of the full suite. It was intended for clinics and teaching environments that need to review patient models, analyze occlusion, and prepare simple treatment plans. While the Lite edition lacks some advanced features, it remains a valuable entry point into digital orthodontics fo