Getting Started with exoplan for Implant Case Planning
exoplan is exocad's implant planning module — a separate add-on to the core DentalCAD platform that enables CBCT-based implant position planning, surgical guide design, and implant position export to the restorative workflow. For labs that want to offer full digital implant services — from planning to restoration — exoplan is the integration layer between the surgical plan and the final prosthetic.
What exoplan Does
exoplan imports CBCT (cone beam CT) scan data and aligns it with the patient's surface scan (from IOS or model scan). This gives a combined view of the bone anatomy and the soft tissue/dentition surface, which is the foundation for accurate implant position planning.
From there, the clinician (or the lab supporting the clinician) can:
- Place virtual implants at the planned position and angulation, with bone depth visualization
- Check for anatomical risks (inferior alveolar nerve proximity, sinus proximity)
- Select from an implant library covering all major systems
- Design a surgical guide that constrains the osteotomy to the planned position
- Export the implant position for seamless transfer into DentalCAD for restorative design
Where the Lab Fits In
The lab's role in an exoplan workflow depends on how involved the clinician wants the lab to be in the planning phase. Common models:
- Full planning support: The clinician sends CBCT and surface scan; the lab creates a planning proposal that the clinician reviews and approves before surgical guide fabrication
- Surgical guide only: The clinician does the planning in their own software and sends a surgical guide design file; the lab mills or prints the guide
- Restoration from plan: The clinician plans the surgery; exoplan exports the implant position directly into the lab's DentalCAD workflow so the restoration design starts with the correct virtual implant position
Surgical Guide Fabrication
Surgical guides designed in exoplan can be fabricated two ways:
- Milled from PMMA or surgical guide resin: Milling produces accurate guides from the same machine you use for crowns
- 3D printed: If the lab has a resin printer, surgical guides are a common printed output
The guide must have the correct sleeve diameter and depth stop for the implant system being used. exoplan's output includes the hardware specifications for the sleeve selection.
Getting Started: Prerequisites
- exocad DentalCAD core license (exoplan is an add-on module)
- CBCT viewer capability — exoplan has built-in CBCT import/viewing
- Implant libraries loaded for the systems your clinicians use
- Surface scan capability (or DICOM files from the practice)
- Training — exoplan has a steeper learning curve than basic DentalCAD; exocad provides training resources and their distributor network (including EDS) can facilitate training
The Clinical Communication Advantage
Labs that offer exoplan-based implant planning develop a service that goes beyond traditional lab work — you become a clinical planning partner. The ability to show clinicians a planned implant position with bone clearance visualization, propose restoration-driven planning (where the implant is positioned based on the desired restoration), and deliver a ready-to-use surgical guide changes the lab-clinician relationship. Labs offering this service consistently report higher case value and stronger clinician loyalty.