What Is exocad?
exocad is a dental CAD/CAM software platform used to design dental restorations digitally. Its flagship product, DentalCAD, is used by dental laboratories and increasingly by in-office digital workflows to design crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, veneers, implant abutments, dentures, surgical guides, orthodontic appliances, and more.
Founded in 2010 as a spinoff from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute (a leading applied research organization), exocad was built by engineers who understood that dental labs needed flexibility. Unlike closed-system CAD software tied to specific hardware, exocad's open architecture works with virtually any intraoral scanner, desktop scanner, milling machine, or 3D printer. That openness is why it became the global standard.
Align Technology acquired exocad in April 2020 for approximately EUR 376 million, integrating it into their digital dentistry portfolio alongside Invisalign and iTero scanners. Despite the acquisition, exocad has maintained its open-platform philosophy.
The current release is DentalCAD 3.3 Chemnitz, with continuous improvements in automation, AI-assisted design, and workflow efficiency.
Key Features
DentalCAD (Core Product)
The main restoration design software. Handles single crowns, bridges, inlays/onlays, veneers, implant abutments, custom abutments, screw-retained restorations, temporary restorations, and more. Known for its intuitive interface and fast design workflow -- experienced technicians can design a single crown in under five minutes.
Smile Creator
Chairside and lab-side smile design tool. Import a patient photo, overlay a digital design, and visualize the planned restorations in the context of the patient's face. Valuable for case presentations and patient communication.
PartialCAD
Dedicated module for designing removable partial denture frameworks. The 3.3 Chemnitz release introduced a highly automated split denture workflow.
Full Denture Module
Design complete dentures digitally, including gingival contours, tooth arrangement, and try-in workflows. Supports 3D-printed and milled denture production.
Implant Module
Design custom implant abutments, screw-retained crowns, and implant bars. Supports major implant systems and integrates with guided surgery planning.
ChairsideCAD
Simplified version of DentalCAD designed for chairside same-day dentistry. Streamlined workflows for single-visit restorations using CEREC-style workflows but with exocad's open-platform flexibility.
Open Architecture
Works with 100+ scanner brands, all major milling machines, and every 3D printer. No hardware lock-in. This is exocad's defining advantage over closed systems.
Pros
- Industry standard -- the most widely used dental CAD software globally
- Open architecture works with any scanner, mill, or 3D printer
- Intuitive, fast design workflow -- minimal clicks to complete restorations
- Comprehensive product range from single crowns to full dentures to implants
- Backed by Align Technology with continued investment and development
Cons
- Significant upfront cost -- $3,000-$13,000+ depending on license model
- Desktop-only -- no cloud or web version, requires Windows
- Learning curve for new users despite the intuitive interface -- dental CAD is inherently complex
- Sold only through resellers -- pricing and support quality depend on your reseller
- No direct practice management integration -- it's CAD software, not a PMS add-on