Myths and Truths About Two-Appointment Dentures

Nearly every dental lab — big, small, domestic, offshore, boutique or corporate — is now advertising some form of digital dentures with accelerated workflows. But behind the marketing, there’s a wide gap between labs that claim they’re digital and the small handful that actually have the infrastructure to deliver a predictable experience.

Below, we break down the most common myths associated with two-appointment dentures on the market and how Glidewell offers a solution based on truth.

This is a misconception often pushed by labs that haven’t invested in modern scanning, design or 3D-printing technologies. A genuine two-appointment workflow requires:

• High-accuracy intraoral scanning or a refined impression protocol
• A digitally verified Vertical Dimension of Occlusion (VDO)
• A consistent Central Relation (CR) record
• Verified midline and esthetic landmarks
• Functional edentulous tissue capture
• A design system that understands anatomical variation

Most labs don’t have a validated system capable of interpreting and combining these records into a predictable denture design — unlike labs like Glidewell that choose to invest in high-precision Stratasys, Carbon, and Micron printers; clinical support networks; reference denture protocols; and over 200 designers dedicated to designing removable appliances. 

“Digital dentures” means different things to different labs. For labs relying on inexpensive offshore CAD or generic printers, a digital denture might mean:

• The CAD design is outsourced to overseas contractors
• Printed bases are made on entry-level resin printers
• Denture teeth are manually placed or hand bonded
• Material fatigue or lack of long-term durability
• No permanent archive of design files
• Hand-finished dentures with inconsistent outcomes

By contrast, Glidewell’s definition of “digital dentures” begins with a U.S.-based, in-house digital design team that specializes in removables. Digital workflows consist of a single, integrated data pipeline from scan to design and production. These pipelines are tied to data from tens of thousands of completed digital cases. With this secure digital archiving process, remakes conversions and duplications are much faster. Glidewell additionally utilizes premium tooth libraries, proprietary gingiva shade matching, and controlled multi-jet and Digital Light Processing (DLP) printing with validated densities.

Labs that do not use digital design systems often rely on traditional wax-ups, which can reinforce the perception that esthetic control is only possible through physical setups. In reality, a digital workflow offers clinicians a comprehensive view of the proposed tooth arrangement, enabling clear evaluation of midline, VDO, occlusal scheme, and gingival contours. Digital designs can be reviewed from multiple angles, matched to facial references when provided, and modified quickly based on clinician feedback.

For practices moving toward a two-appointment digital denture workflow, this level of repeatability and design precision helps support consistent esthetic outcomes. While wax try-ins remain useful in some cases, digital previews provide a reliable and efficient alternative for many clinicians and patients.

Dental labs that rely on traditional analog processing or non-validated printer bases often fall short in denture quality because they use generic resins, produce low-density prints that are prone to fracture, and follow variable curing cycles. These practices lead to inconsistent bond strengths and require manual finishing steps, which introduce human error and compromise overall reliability.

Glidewell sets itself apart by leveraging proprietary printed resins engineered for exceptional fracture resistance and controlled print density profiles that deliver superior strength in stress-bearing areas. Its precision CAM processes, combined with machine-learning-driven quality assurance, ensure consistent accuracy and reliability. Glidewell also offers premium tooth options designed to maintain long-term esthetics, while a fully integrated print-finish-polish line with tight tolerances results in a more-than-satisfactory final product. All of this can be accomplished with purpose-driven speed. 

Because of reference denture methodologies and advanced digital design protocols, Glidewell can support cases such as:

• Severely resorbed ridges
• Flabby anterior tissues
• Unstable VDO
• Duplicate denture workflows
• Immediate denture conversions
• Partial-to-full transitions
• Cases requiring detailed esthetic replication

Some labs may move these cases into a fully analog workflow due to limitations in their digital processes. Glidewell’s approach helps maintain a predictable, digital-forward workflow even when additional clinical considerations are present.

This is a narrative spread by labs that do not maintain long-term digital archives. In truth, labs like Glidewell that operate with digital catalogs can offer predictable results with repairs, relines and remakes:

• Remakes require no new impressions in many cases
• Printed dentures can be duplicated with identical esthetics
• Digital relines and conversions are simplified
• Lost or broken dentures can be replaced quickly
• Modifications can be applied precisely to the original design

Labs without archived files must start from scratch — Glidewell simply reprints.

Other labs offer digital dentures. Glidewell offers the entire digital ecosystem — design, materials, manufacturing, clinical support, and scale — required to actually deliver consistent, predictable, esthetic two-appointment results.

Dentists working with Glidewell can prescribe Simply Natural^™ Reference Digital Dentures and Simply Natural Duplicate Digital Dentures for their two-appointment solutions and expect:

• Fast, predictable two-appointment workflows
• Higher accuracy and fewer adjustments versus analog or hybrid-digital labs
• Unmatched esthetic consistency through verified digital design
• The largest removable production capability in the country
• Proprietary materials competitors cannot access
• Clinical support from trained technical advisors and designers
• A stable, validated platform that is here to stay

Most other labs simply can’t implement this two-appointment workflow because they don’t have the infrastructure, data, Research & Development foundation, clinical support, proprietary materials, and manufacturing scale. Partner with a lab that operates on truth, not myth.

Learn more or send a case by visiting glidewell.com. 

Blog Posts

• Raymond Choi, DDS, M.S.: “Using Digital Denture Workflows to Transform Your Practice”
• “September Is Healthy Aging Month: Why Denture Health Matters More Than You Think”
• Raymond Choi, DDS, M.S.: “5 Things You Need to Know About Geriatric Dentistry”

Video

• “How a Digital Denture Workflow Can Transform Your Practice: A Conversation with Dr. Raymond Choi”