At Osseo Group, we’re thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of CreSplint – a game-changing solution for digital splint design and manufacturing. We’re incredibly proud to have contributed to its development and refinement over the past few months, ensuring it delivers unmatched value to our customers. Best of all, CreSplint will be available free of charge for all Aoralscan 3 and Elite scanners as well as the AccuFab range of printers.
In this article, we'll dive into the key features and benefits of CreSplint and how it’s revolutionising digital splint design and manufacturing workflows, offering an accessible yet sophisticated tool for all dental professionals. Whether you’re managing routine cases or highly complex ones, CreSplint delivers the accuracy, speed, and convenience needed to meet the demands of modern dental care.
Digital splints have transformed the dental industry, offering unparalleled accuracy, speed, and convenience compared to traditional methods. One of the most innovative developments in this field is CreSplint, a cutting-edge software integrated into SHINING 3D’s Aoralscan, Metismile, and AccuFab systems. This advanced solution simplifies the entire process of creating occlusal splints and retainers, delivering a seamless experience from scanning to manufacturing.
What sets CreSplint apart is its ability to be as simple as you want and as complex as you need, making it an ideal solution for dentists with varying levels of digital experience. Whether you're working on a straightforward case or handling a highly intricate one, SHINING 3D’s interface adapts effortlessly to suit your requirements. Its user interface is designed to cater to both novice and seasoned dental professionals, allowing users to scale the complexity of their designs while maintaining control over every detail. This means the software can handle anything from simple, routine cases to more sophisticated designs—without overwhelming the user.
A Shift from Traditional Methods
Prior to the advent of digital solutions like CreSplint, the process of creating dental splints was labour-intensive, often involving multiple manual steps. Traditional methods, such as taking physical impressions, were uncomfortable for patients and prone to error. For example, thermoforming splints required significant post-processing, with overall workflows lasting up to 100 minutes.
By contrast, SHINING 3D’s digital approach with CreSplint dramatically cuts down on production time, eliminating much of the discomfort and mess associated with manual fabrication. Digital scans are more precise, allowing for greater consistency, and the automated workflow reduces the risk of human error. This shift from traditional methods is a game-changer, providing patients with more comfortable experiences and giving clinics the ability to produce more consistent and accurate splints in a fraction of the time.
AI-Driven Efficiency and One-Click Printing
CreSplint stands out for its AI-powered efficiency, automating key stages of the splint design process. Dental professionals can now create high-quality splints—whether occlusal splints or retainers—with minimal manual effort, leading to faster turnaround times and enhanced clinic productivity. The advanced AI algorithm recognises critical surfaces and takes care of tasks such as auto-layout planning, support generation, and slicing, ensuring that designs are prepared for 3D printing quickly and accurately.
The One-Click Printing feature further streamlines the workflow, allowing users to move directly from scan to design to production with minimal intervention. This level of automation enables clinics to focus on what truly matters—patient care—while maintaining high standards of precision and quality in the splints they produce.
SHINING 3D's Accessible and Doctor-Friendly Ecosystem
SHINING 3D's ecosystem, combining CreSplint with the power of their scanners and 3D printers, ensures the entire process remains efficient, affordable, and doctor-friendly. With cost-effective hardware and intuitive software, even small practices can access advanced digital solutions without breaking the bank. By providing affordable tools that scale according to the user's needs, SHINING 3D allows clinics of all sizes to benefit from cutting-edge technology, levelling the playing field for both large and small practices.
This blend of simplicity and complexity strikes a perfect balance, making digital splint creation a realistic option for everyday use while still capable of tackling the most challenging scenarios. Small dental practices are no longer excluded from the benefits of advanced digital workflows due to cost or complexity; instead, they can easily adopt these solutions and experience immediate gains in productivity and patient satisfaction.
Workflow Steps for CreSplint
Open predesign and select CreSplint from the app menu. Once CreSplint launches, choose Splint to begin the design process.
Next, select the working arch, finish line, occlusal thickness, wall thickness, undercut, and spacer. You can hover over the ℹ️ symbol for helpful visuals describing each setting.
At this point, you have two options: choose either Next Step or Auto Generation.
Here’s where CreSplint shines in offering flexibility—Next Step lets you fine-tune each stage of the design, while Auto Generation creates a fully-formed basic splint that’s ready for printing, though you can still make adjustments later if needed. For this article, we’ll opt for Next Step.
Now, you can refine the model by blocking out excessive undercuts, filling deep fissures and pits, and removing brackets if the splint is intended for immediate use as a retainer or splint.
In the Parameter Adjustment step, you’ll have the opportunity to draw or modify the finish lines, adjust the path of insertion, and review model undercuts to ensure optimal retention.
Moving to the Shape Adjustment stage, you’ll configure the virtual articulator by setting parameters such as the left and right CGA, LGA, and side shift. Here, you’ll also determine the occlusal opening, fine-tuning the splint’s fit.
To check the bite, select either lateral or protrusive movements and press Play to visualise any potential bite collisions.
The "Occlusal adjustment" feature enables you to create either a static, locked centric bite or dynamically cut the bite plane for lateral and protrusive movements. For best results, activate Static Detection to verify occlusal contact when the jaw is at rest before applying the Static Bite Adjustment function.
Once the bite cutout is complete, use the Carve tools to smooth the occlusal surface or add material for ramps or other adjustments. If you add any material, you may need to repeat the cutout process to ensure a perfect fit.
The final step is adding any custom text, followed by clicking Go to Print. AccuWare will then open, and the AI-powered One-Click Printing feature will take over, automatically selecting the material and optimally positioning the splint and supports on the platform for the best speed and efficiency.
A Game-Changer for Digital Splints
The process of making splints has evolved from a time-consuming, manual endeavour to an efficient, digital workflow, thanks to CreSplint. By combining AI-driven design automation with seamless 3D printing integration, SHINING 3D’s CreSplint offers dental professionals an accurate, fast, and patient-friendly solution. This software is revolutionising the way night guards and retainers are designed and manufactured, allowing clinics to adopt a more effective and streamlined approach to splint production.
Book an in-clinic demo
The Aoralscan scanner, MetiSmile and AccuFab range by Shining 3D all feature CreSplint. Their high precision, doctor-friendly design, advanced scanning capabilities and software make it an essential asset for dental professionals.
By investing in the range of Shining 3D Scan, Design, Manufacture equipment, dental practices can improve patient care, streamline workflows, and achieve superior clinical outcomes. Book an in-clinic demo today by clicking HERE or contact your Account Rep directly.