Sentinel Mouthguards Accepts STL Files for Custom Night Guards
Already Have a Digital Scan of Your Teeth? We Can Use It.
If your dentist or orthodontist has scanned your teeth recently, you may not need to take a dental impression at home at all.
At Sentinel Mouthguards, we can make many of our custom night guards directly from an existing digital dental scan. Instead of waiting for an impression kit, taking your impression, and mailing it back to our lab, you can send us the digital file and let us work from the scan your dental provider has already captured.
We work with these files in our lab, so this isn't just a technical option we list on the website. It's part of our actual manufacturing workflow.
Getting the File From Your Dentist Is Usually the First Step
If you've had an intraoral scan at a dental or orthodontic office, ask whether they can provide you with the original digital scan file. In many cases, the office can export the scan for you.
.STL is the format we see most often, but our lab can also accept .PLY and .OBJ files.
Don't send us a screenshot, photograph, or PDF of the scan. We need the actual three-dimensional scan file because that's the data we'll use in the digital workflow.
If you're not sure what your dental office should send, our dental scanner compatibility guide can help.
What Our Lab Looks for Before We Make Your Guard
Every digital scan needs to give us enough information to accurately reproduce the teeth your guard will fit over. Before fabrication, we review the scan quality and make sure the anatomy we need is actually there.
We're looking for things such as:
- Clear tooth anatomy
- Complete coverage of the arch being used
- Full capture of the back molars
- Usable margins around the teeth and gumline
- No major gaps, distortions, or missing scan data
A note from our lab: If part of a molar is missing or something in the scan could compromise the final fit, we'd rather catch it before we make your guard. If we see a problem, we'll contact you before fabrication instead of trying to work around a scan that isn't giving us what we need.
What Happens to Your Scan Inside the Sentinel Lab?
Once we've reviewed and approved the file, the digital scan becomes the starting point for making your custom guard.
Rather than pouring a traditional stone model from an impression, we can use the digital anatomy to create the working model used during fabrication. From there, your guard moves through the same hands-on finishing process we use throughout our lab.
Our technicians trim, shape, smooth, and finish each guard individually. Digital technology gives us a very efficient starting point, but the final appliance is still a custom dental product that receives hands-on attention before it leaves Sentinel.
Why Customers Like the Digital-Scan Option
The biggest advantage is simple: you can skip the impression process entirely.
There's no putty to mix, no impression to mail back, and no question about whether an at-home impression captured enough detail. If you already have a usable scan, our lab can start with that digital record.
That can mean:
- No at-home impression kit
- No return mailing step for an impression
- A direct digital record of your dental anatomy
- A simpler path to fabrication once the scan is approved
- A digital file that can make future reorders easier
For someone who has already paid for or undergone an intraoral scan at a dental office, it often doesn't make sense to start over with a physical impression if the existing scan gives our lab everything we need.
Can We Use an Older Scan?
Sometimes. What matters most is whether your teeth today still match the teeth represented in the file.
If you've had a crown, filling, implant, extraction, orthodontic treatment, or another change to your teeth since the scan was taken, tell us before we use the file. Even a good digital scan isn't useful for a custom-fit appliance if it no longer represents your current dental anatomy.
If nothing has changed and you're unsure whether your scan is still usable, send it to us for review. You can also read our guide to reusing an existing digital scan for a new night guard .
Ready to Use Your Digital Scan?
Start by choosing the Sentinel night guard that fits your needs. You can then provide your digital scan for our lab to review before fabrication.
If this is your first time ordering from a dental scan, we've put together a step-by-step guide to ordering a night guard with an .STL file so you'll know exactly what to send and what happens next.
And if you're staring at a folder of dental files and have absolutely no idea which one we need, that's okay too. Send us a message. A real person in our lab can help you figure it out.
Common Questions About Digital Dental Scans
Does Sentinel Mouthguards accept .STL files?
Yes. We accept .STL digital dental scans for custom mouth guard fabrication. We can also work with .PLY and .OBJ files.
Can my dentist send the scan directly to Sentinel?
Yes. If your dental office has the original scan file, it can be sent to Sentinel for use with your order.
Do I still need to take an impression?
Not if we have an acceptable digital scan containing the anatomy needed for your guard. That's the point of the digital option: if we can work from your scan, there's no reason to duplicate that step with an at-home impression.
What if I'm not sure whether my scan is good enough?
Send it to us. Our lab reviews digital files before fabrication, and we'll let you know if something is missing or if a new scan or impression would give us a better foundation for your guard.
Can I use the same scan again for a future night guard?
Potentially, yes, as long as your dental anatomy hasn't changed and the scan remains suitable for the appliance being made.
Want to Understand the Whole Digital Process?
We've created a more detailed resource covering scanners, file types, fabrication, reorders, and other questions about using digital dental records for a custom guard:
Custom Night Guards From Digital Scans (.STL Files): The Complete Guide