What’s the difference between DSD Ortho Planning and Ortho TPS?

I’m Dr Daniel Ramos, orthodontist and Orthodontics Clinical Director at the DSD Planning Center. Over the years, my team of ortho specialists and I have planned thousands of orthodontic cases for clinicians around the world to help them achieve more predictable, facially guided and functional results.

The DSD Planning Center ortho services are designed to be flexible and adapt to the level of support you need. Think of them as a virtual ortho team that you can hire when you need it by choosing the service that best fits your case.

In this article, I’ll explain the difference between two of these services — DSD Ortho Planning and Ortho TPS (Treatment Planning Service) — so you can choose the one that suits your case needs.

You can use both of these services together or separately, depending on your case.

Below I will explain both services in more detail to help you understand and make the most of them.

What is the DSD Ortho Planning?

Overview

The DSD Ortho Planning is like putting a pin on the map before you begin: it shows you where your orthodontic treatment should end up, respecting the patient’s face and function.

It is comprehensive interdisciplinary planning in which every orthodontic movement is digitally planned to align teeth in harmony with the patient’s face, airway and long-term function.

It also helps you understand the limits of orthodontics and when to bring in other specialties, like implants, restorations or surgery, to complete the ideal plan.

When is the DSD Ortho Planning the right fit for my case?

The DSD Ortho Planning is a great fit when you don’t have a clear vision of what you need to do for the case or when your patient needs more visual explanations to better understand the treatment.

This service can be used when:

• You’re facing a complex orthodontic case and don’t know where to start.

• You need interdisciplinary brainstorming to understand all the possible treatment options.

• You notice airway or functional red flags and want to investigate related procedures to improve overall health and stability.

• You want to simulate different treatment paths, such as orthodontic, restorative, implant, or surgical, to see how they complement each other.

• You want to create visual presentations that clearly explain the problems, proposed solutions and treatment sequence to your patient.

• You want to motivate patient acceptance by showing realistic visual outcomes and treatment options.

• You need a digital reference plan to guide your aligner or orthodontic treatment later, regardless of the system you use.

When to order

You can order the DSD Ortho Planning after your first patient appointment, before the patient has accepted a treatment plan.

You will receive a presentation with information and visuals about the problems and solutions to help you explain the treatment to your patient and motivate them.

What’s included

The DSD Ortho Planning includes:

• Complete case evaluation: Detailed analysis of CBCT scans, 3D models and photographs.
• Ortho planning: Personalized orthodontic setup aligned with the patient’s esthetic and functional goals.
• Interdisciplinary simulations: all interdisciplinary simulations related to the orthodontic treatment are included, based on your specifications in the prescription form.
• Deliverables: Pre- and post-treatment STL files, a presentation with visuals and explanation slides, and a viewer link for interactive case review.

Requirements

We will need you to provide the following files

• DSD Photo Protocol (5 photos and video)
  

• STL files of upper and lower arches in occlusion (upper with full palate)

• Bimaxillary CBCT in multi-slice DICOM format

We are experts in the use of CBCT files for orthodontic planning, which allows us to segment roots, bone and other important anatomical structures for a more comprehensive study and planning. For you to fully benefit from this feature, we request that you send the complete CBCT of both arches together in the same file.

Turnaround time

DSD Clinics: up to 5 business days

DSD Members and Providers: up to 7 business days

Delivery times may vary depending on case complexity and the DSD Planning Center’s capacity.

How to get started

1. Order DSD Ortho Planning via the DSD Planning Center website.
   
   

2. ‘Create’ your patient by uploading their documentation (photos, CBCT, STL files).
   
   

3. Complete the prescription form to share key clinical expectations and details.
   
   

4. Our team will begin your plan and notify you via the DSD WebChat when it’s ready for review. We will upload the report and the STL files that you will need to guide the treatment.

What is Ortho TPS (Treatment Planning Service)?

Overview

DSD Ortho TPS is like having a virtual orthodontist by your side throughout your aligner treatments.

It’s a flexible, tailor-made service in which our expert team works directly inside your chosen aligner software to help you plan, review and refine every step from start to finish.

The dentists who benefit the most from this service are the ones who are looking to grow their aligner business, implement predictable protocols and faster outcomes, and receive specialized support in orthodontics.

When is Ortho TPS the right fit for my case?

After you share your ortho setup/ simulation with the DSD team, we adapt to the complexity of your case. You can order Ortho TPS independently or integrate it into your workflow after any DSD planning service, such as the Diagnostic Design or DSD Ortho Planning.

Here are three ideal scenarios for when to use Ortho TPS:

1. Without a previous design

If you're more or less sure about what you want, and don’t need initial treatment planning support from DSD, you can order Ortho TPS for your cases directly.

• Best for simple aligner cases

• Used when you have a clear vision of what needs to be done and want to move to the orthodontic treatment more quickly

• Ideal when a full design isn’t needed
  
  

2. After a Diagnostic Design from the DSD Planning Center

If you need to motivate a patient and require our support with the diagnostic process, you can order a Diagnostic Design from the DSD Planning Center and then move the case to Ortho TPS.

• Ensures that tooth movements respect a predefined esthetic and functional design

• Especially useful in interdisciplinary treatments
  
  

3. After receiving the DSD Ortho Planning

If you need a deeper analysis with evaluation and simulations of any adjunct therapy, you can order the DSD Ortho Planning and then move the case to Ortho TPS.

• Ideal for complex cases

• Guarantees full alignment with a facially driven approach by using the simulation provided in the DSD Ortho Planning stage

• For complex cases that require interdisciplinary simulations to better understand the ideal treatment

What’s included?

• Orthodontic treatment plan: Created directly within your aligner software.
  
  

• One Ortho Quality Control: Compares the current clinical situation with the ideal digital setup.
  
  

• One Refinement: Provides fine-tuning of the case after the first or second set of aligners.
  
  

• Final Report: A PDF presentation containing all images and strategic information after final ClinCheck approval.
  
  

• Optional Deliverables: Ortho Quality Control viewer and TPS Refinement Report (available after each refinement stage).
  

Requirements

To execute the planning correctly:

• Share the case via your aligner platform, with DSD added as a collaborator or provider.
  

For refinements or quality control, upload new STL files of the patient’s current situation (post-ortho) to allow comparison with the ideal design or previous simulation.

Turnaround time

Turnaround times depend on the complexity of the case and the feedback cycle, but our goal is to maintain fast, reliable delivery throughout all collaboration stages.

How to get started

1. Go to the DSD website and select Ortho TPS.
   
   

2. Add the product to your cart and share your aligner case with DSD.
   
   

3. Our team will review, refine and guide your case directly within your aligner platform.
   
   

4. You’ll receive your final report and ongoing support through DSD WebChat.

Your virtual ortho partner for predictable results

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