Digitalization in dentistry is increasingly coming to resemble engineering design. The software used in modern workflows represents a combination of medical imaging software and 3D design programs.
It makes complete sense to take advantage of hardware already built specifically for this purpose. A company well known for its CAD design hardware has excelled at this task: 3DConnexion offers specialized mice and keyboards tailored for controlling and navigating 3D design environments. Most software applications used for dental implant planning and prosthetic design are now fully adapted to work seamlessly with the company's products.
Key Advantages in Dental CAD Workflows
- Two-Handed Workflow: By using a 3D mouse (like the SpaceMouse) in the non-dominant hand and a standard mouse or stylus in the dominant hand, designers can manipulate models simultaneously. While one hand rotates, pans, and zooms the 3D jaw or crown with 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF), the other hand carves, draws margin lines, or positions implants uninterrupted.
- Native Software Integration: Leading dental design and implant planning platforms—including Exocad DentalCAD/exoplan, 3Shape Dental System & Implant Studio, and CoDiagnostiX—feature native support and pre-configured navigation profiles for 3Dconnexion devices.
- Custom Shortcuts and Radial Menus: Programmable function keys allow technicians to trigger contextual radial menus, standard view angles (occlusal, frontal, sagittal), and macro sequences with a single touch, saving time otherwise spent navigating submenus.
- Improved Ergonomics and Reduced Wrist Fatigue: Traditional 3D navigation requires repetitive clicking and dragging. Splitting the workload between both hands significantly reduces repetitive strain on the dominant wrist, making long design sessions far more comfortable.
- Greater Precision for Fine Details: The fluid, micro-adjustable camera movements make it easier to inspect delicate features—such as deep prep margins, contact points, emergence profiles, and surgical guide sleeve positions—with maximum clarity.
Source: 3DConnexion
