Diagnostic Wax-Ups & Treatment Planning
Complex restorative cases succeed or fail in the planning stage. Peak Dental Studio provides Diagnostic Wax-Ups, Smile Design Wax-Ups, digital STL wax-ups, Temporary Crowns, and Prep Reduction Guides that help clinicians visualize outcomes, communicate with patients, and execute treatment with confidence. Our prosthodontist-founded lab understands that predictable results start long before the final restoration is fabricated.
Diagnostic Wax-Up
Our Diagnostic Wax-Up provides a three-dimensional preview of the proposed restorative outcome on a mounted model. This is essential for cases involving changes to vertical dimension, occlusal scheme, or anterior aesthetics. Clinicians can evaluate proposed tooth positions, contacts, and contours before any preparation begins — and patients can see and approve the planned result. Each wax-up is hand-sculpted by experienced technicians using the principles of ideal occlusion and dental aesthetics.
Diagnostic Wax-Up STL — Digital Planning
Our Diagnostic Wax-Up STL delivers the same treatment visualization in digital format. Using your intraoral scan, we design the proposed restorations virtually and provide an STL file that can be printed in-office, used for guided preparation, or converted into a matrix for fabricating Temporary Crowns. Digital wax-ups integrate seamlessly with CAD/CAM workflows and can be modified quickly if the treatment plan evolves — no new impressions required.
Smile Design Wax-Up
Our Smile Design Wax-Up goes beyond functional planning to focus on aesthetics — tooth shape, size, symmetry, gingival display, and the relationship between the smile and facial proportions. This is our recommendation for veneer cases, full-mouth cosmetic rehabilitations, and any case where the patient’s smile expectations must be visualized and approved before preparation. Smile Design Wax-Ups are fabricated with attention to golden proportion guidelines, incisal edge position, and lip dynamics.
Temporary Crowns
Well-made Temporary Crowns protect preparations, maintain occlusion, and give patients a preview of their final restorations during the fabrication period. Our Temporary Crowns are fabricated from durable acrylic materials and can be designed to match the diagnostic wax-up — providing a functional “test drive” of the planned restoration. For complex cases, temporaries serve as a critical communication tool between clinician, patient, and laboratory before final restorations are committed to.
Prep Reduction Guides
Adequate tooth preparation is essential for every material we fabricate — zirconia needs different reduction than Emax, which needs different reduction than PFM. Our Prep Reduction Guides help clinicians verify that sufficient tooth structure has been removed before taking final impressions:
Prep Reduction Guide – Essix: A clear thermoplastic matrix made from the pre-operative model that seats over preparations, allowing the clinician to visually assess reduction through the transparent material. Quick, intuitive, and easy to use chairside.
Prep Reduction Guide – Putty: A silicone putty index sectioned to reveal preparation reduction in cross-section. Provides more precise measurement of reduction depth at specific points — especially valuable for anterior cases where facial reduction uniformity is critical for aesthetic results.
Treatment Planning Workflow
The ideal treatment planning workflow for complex cases follows this sequence: (1) Diagnostic Wax-Up or Smile Design Wax-Up to visualize the outcome, (2) Patient approval of the proposed design, (3) Prep Reduction Guide fabrication based on the approved wax-up, (4) Temporary Crown fabrication matching the approved design, (5) Preparation appointment using the reduction guide for verification, (6) Temporary Crown placement for functional and aesthetic evaluation, (7) Final restoration fabrication once the plan is confirmed. This systematic approach minimizes remakes, maximizes patient satisfaction, and gives the laboratory clear direction for the final restorations.
Related Services
Once your treatment plan is confirmed, we fabricate final restorations in Zirconia, Emax & Ceramics, PFM & Metal, and Custom Implant Abutments. For full-arch treatment planning, see our All-on-X page. Learn about the prosthodontist-level case review that guides every complex case at Peak Dental Studio.
Ready to plan your next complex case with a prosthodontist-founded lab? Start Your Partnership with Peak Dental Studio or contact our team to discuss Diagnostic Wax-Ups, Smile Design Wax-Ups, and treatment planning support.