Texas dental school introduces complete digital workflow

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 5 November 2026

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SAN ANTONIO, US: The University of Texas at San Antonio School of Dentistry has introduced a complete digital workflow for restorative dentistry across all four years of its DDS programme. The initiative allows students to work with the same digital technologies during preclinical training that they will later use in patient care, integrating intra-oral scanning, digital jaw motion tracking, CAD and in-house manufacturing into the curriculum from the first year.

The implementation is part of an investment of more than US$5.0 million (over €4.5 million^*) over five years by the university. A university press release explained that the school has adopted an integrated workflow from Austrian dental technology manufacturer Amann Girrbach, covering the process from digital data acquisition to the design and fabrication of crowns and bridges. According to the university, it is currently the only dental school in the US using the Amann Girrbach end-to-end system.

Previously, students at the school were introduced to a complete digital workflow in the later stages of their studies. The revised curriculum incorporates digital techniques from the outset alongside analogue methods, including physical impression taking and facebow registration. This approach is intended to ensure that students develop proficiency in both workflows before entering clinical practice.

To support the programme, the school has provided incoming dental students with physical articulators and accompanying software that connects the devices to the digital workflow used in its teaching clinics. It has also expanded its intra-oral scanning facilities, adding 16 scanners to the clinical areas. Crowns and bridges can be fabricated using the school’s milling machines, and 3D printing is available for provisional restorations and dental models.

By introducing the technology early in the curriculum, the school aims to help students understand the relationships between data acquisition, restoration design and manufacturing before they begin treating patients. A further educational benefit is the ability to standardise practical exercises. Students can work with identical digital datasets, reducing discrepancies arising from differences in physical impression taking, model mounting and facebow transfers. Identical models for practical exercises can also be 3D-printed for use across different restorative dentistry courses, providing a consistent reference for teaching and assessment.

Beyond preparing students for clinical practice, the initiative offers further opportunities, as Dr Carlos David Escobar Palma, director of digital dentistry at the school, explained: “Access to state-of-the-art technologies, both hardware and software, is transforming the way we teach and prepare our students. It also creates valuable opportunities for faculty professional development and, most importantly, allows us to provide our patients with an even higher level of care.”

The implementation builds on an existing collaboration between the school and Amann Girrbach. The university previously participated in testing one of the manufacturer’s milling machines and has since acquired two additional units, all three of which are now incorporated into the digital workflow.

Editorial note:

^* Calculated on the OANDA platform for 26 October 2026.

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Amann Girrbach Dental education Dental schools Dental students Dental training Digital dental technologies Digital dental workflows

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