DSD Upper and Lower planning.
By Tatiana Coachman
⋅ 3 min read
⋅ 17 May 2024
You’re all set up to purchase products from the DSD Planning Center and ready for our interdisciplinary team to support you with your cases – but what do you need to order?
If you’re not yet familiar with the products available at the DSD Planning Center and when you need them, this article is for you. Read on for an explanation of one of our most-ordered products: the DSD Upper and Lower.
What is the DSD Upper and Lower?
The DSD Upper and Lower is a digital wax-up of a patient’s upper and lower arches that is created following a facially driven, functional and clinical analysis. It is the DSD Planning Center’s most ordered product and is used in patient cases by clinics and dentists all over the world.
Who is the DSD Upper and Lower a good fit for?
Whenever a case requires planning for both arches, the DSD Upper and Lower is the main product our clients use. The DSD Upper and Lower delivers simulations and images that will help you to make your own diagnosis and create your treatment plan. Our clients also use the DSD Upper and Lower to explain treatment to the patient and motivate them.
It is the perfect product for more complex situations such as vertical dimension loss, extensive wear or crowding in which we need to rehabilitate both arches. If you are facing a scenario like this with a patient, the DSD Upper and Lower is the right choice for you.
Why do I need it?
The DSD Upper and Lower is recommended whenever you need a comprehensive approach in the smile design you want to offer your patient, when treating upper and lower arches. You'll be able to diagnose and develop a treatment plan based on the simulations, images and 3D files you receive from the DSD Planning Center with this product.
The DSD Upper and Lower will give you confidence clinically because you know that the team of specialists at the DSD Planning Center have collaborated to develop the best solution for your patient.
For simpler cases in which you only need to treat the upper arch, we have the DSD Upper product.
An example of a case in which the DSD Upper and Lower would be ordered.
When should I buy it?
You should order the DSD Upper and Lower between your patient’s first and second appointments, which we call the ‘inter-consultation moment’.
This is the moment when you have all your patient’s records from the first appointment and you send everything to the DSD Planning Center so we can start working on designing and treatment planning the case. We then send all this information to you so that you can present it to your patient in their second appointment.
The Upper Mockup 3D digital file is included with this product but please note that the manufactured silicone key is not.
Work with the DSD Planning Center
Don't have access to the DSD Planning Center? Our DSD Provider course is your first step. Find out more by exploring the course guide or talking to an advisor.
How much does the DSD Upper and Lower cost?
The cost of the DSD Upper and Lower depends on your membership level with DSD. You can see this on the product page, just underneath the product.
How do I purchase the DSD Upper and Lower?
Sign in to your account on the Digital Smile Design website and navigate to the DSD Planning Center & Lab store.
Find the DSD Upper and Lower product page to purchase.
What do you need to submit to order the case?
Most important are the DSD photos and videos following the photo and video protocol. This is a facially driven design which means that we need high-quality photos and videos to be able to design the case properly.
STL files of the upper and the lower arch in the occlusal relation.
If you want to deprogram your patient, you can send another occlusal relation in the deprogram position, which is very useful for many cases.
Any clinical information that you think is important for us to take into consideration while designing your case.
Panoramics, X-rays, CBCT. The information they can provide for us to take into account when making clinical decisions is very important.
What will you receive when you order the DSD Upper and Lower?
When you order the DSD Upper and Lower you will receive six digital files.
The first of these is the DSD PowerPoint presentation for the upper and lower arches. This includes all the most important images that you can use to explain the treatment to your patient, motivate them and help them understand everything you are planning for the case.
Then we have five STL files:
- Two pre-treatment STL files: one for the upper arch and one for the lower arch.
In these files we can see the original model overlapped with our design for both arches. - Two post-treatment STL files: one for the upper arch and one for the lower arch.
In these files we digitally trim the initial model so you can see the final outcome of the upper and lower arches. - One motivational STL file of the upper arch.
You can then print this upper mockup model and build the silicone key (or ask us to manufacture it for you in the DSD Lab) and place the motivational mockup in the patient for the smile test drive.
This helps the patient to better understand your idea for how the final outcome should look.
The DSD Motivational Design
Work with the DSD Planning Center
If you need further support with ordering cases from the DSD Planning Center, don’t hesitate to reach out to the team who will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Don’t have access to the DSD Planning Center yet? The DSD Provider course will show you the strategies you need to start implementing DSD in your dental office - and give you full access to the DSD Planning Center along with a complimentary design product and free onboarding training.
We recommend exploring our course guide or talking to an advisor to find out more about the DSD Provider course and how it can support your smile design and treatment planning.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay updated on our course promotions and flash sales that we run during the year.
