Place Model Tooth

WarningThis page documents exocad's software releases from 2023 on. See documentation for older versions



For single-tooth reconstructions that require a model tooth (e.g crowns, copings), DentalCAD provides an automatic tooth placement proposal based on the default tooth library. DentalCAD automatically identifies the adjacent mesial and distal teeth, selects the mesial and distal contact points, and then adjusts the model tooth to fit.

The top of the window provides options to free-form the model tooth: You can correct the suggested tooth placement by dragging the model tooth with your mouse [1]. Hold SHIFT to scale the tooth in two directions, Hold CTRL+SHIFT to scale in all directions, and hold CTRL to rotate it. Free-form a small/large region of interest [2], or specific tooth parts [3] (use SHIFT to scale tooth parts uniformly). Use the slider [4] to deform the tooth shape from a deep fissure and pointed cusps to shallow anatomy and flat cusps.
Automatic single 1 3.2.png

The Place Model Tooth window further contains four expandable sections:

Adaptation to Antagonist

Morph anatomy [5]: A shape preserving adaptation is applied to the antagonist.
If Cut anatomy [6] is activated, no shape preserving adaptation is applied and the tooth model is simply cut off.
Select No adaptation [7] to completely deactivate the adaptation to the antagonist.

Static/Dynamic Antagonist [8]: Static: the tooth model is cut off at the static antagonist. Dynamic: the virtual imprint is used, i.e. the model tooth is adapted/cut off according to the movement of the antagonist in the automatic articulator. Use the slider [A] to adjust the amount of abrasion on the occlusal surface, moving the slider to the left will disable abrasion.


Minimum thickness [9]


Select the minimum thickness behavior from the drop-down menu: Automatic single 2.png
Select whether to apply the minimum thickness setting instantly or later (i.e. upon clicking Next) [10].

Keep in mind that the following options depend on the previously set value in DentalDB.

Minimal thickness 2.png

Below manufacturer minimum Manufacturer minimum Current set value


Respect N A 250.gif Resulting minimum thickness Result min.thickness .png
Current set value Current set value .png
Manufacturer minimum Manufacturer minimum .png
Crown Bottom Crown Bottom .png

[A] Respect normally: respect the minimum thickness completely, maintaining the current set value.

B -Cut locally 250.gif
Resulting minimum thickness Result min.thickness .png
Current set value Current set value .png
Manufacturer minimum Manufacturer minimum .png
Crown Bottom Crown Bottom .png

[B] Cut locally to antagonist/adjacents : cut the minimum thickness at the antagonist and approximal neighbors to the manufacturer minimum(e.g. for cases in which the minimum thickness intersects with the antagonist or approximal neighbors).

C Reduce everywhere 250 .gif
Resulting minimum thickness Result min.thickness .png
Current set value Current set value .png
Manufacturer minimum Manufacturer minimum .png
Crown Bottom Crown Bottom .png

[C] Reduce everywhere : reduce the minimum thickness to manufacturer minimum.

D Cut-locally-to-antagonist adjacents 250.gif
Resulting minimum thickness Result min.thickness .png
Current set value Current set value .png
Manufacturer minimum Manufacturer minimum .png
Below manufacturer minimum Below min. thick .png
Crown Bottom Crown Bottom .png

[D] Cut locally to antagonist/adjacents : reduce below the manufacturer minimum keeping the current set value in areas that are sufficiently far away from antagonist/adjacent.


E Reduce everywhere cut locally 250.gif
Resulting minimum thickness Result min.thickness .png
Current set value Current set value .png
Manufacturer minimum Manufacturer minimum .png
Below manufacturer minimum Below min. thick .png
Crown Bottom Crown Bottom .png

[E] Reduce everywhere & cut locally : reduce minimum thickness globally to the manufacturer minimum value, and additionally, go below the manufacturer minimum in the areas that are too close to the antagonist/adjacent.

Tooth library


Using the library drop-down [11] , you can change the tooth library. Automatic single 3a.png Click the arrow buttons to select the next/previous library in the list.

Correct mesial/distal

Automatic single 4b.png


  • Swap the mesial/distal neighbors using the Swap neighbor’s button [12].



  • You can select new mesial/distal neighbors by expanding the section Correct Mesial/Distal, choosing the corresponding button[13], and clicking new positions on the jaw scan.









  • If there is no distal or mesial neighbor tooth, click the dropdown menu [14] and select the option [A] as you can see in the example below.

No distal neighbor.png