Why does a case come back with questions instead of a completed design?

Usually a scan issue — missing margin visibility, an incomplete opposing arch, or a bite registration that doesn't seat cleanly. A good design partner flags this before starting rather than guessing and delivering a design that doesn't fit.

What's the most common scan error that delays a case?

Motion artifacts from the scan wand moving too quickly or losing tracking mid-scan, which distort the surface geometry in ways that aren't always obvious without close inspection.

Can a design partner fix a bad scan?

Only to a point. Minor cleanup is routine, but a scan with a genuinely obscured margin or a missing opposing arch usually needs to be retaken rather than worked around.

Scan Quality Issues That Cause Dental CAD Design Delays

Short answer

Cases stall before design starts when the scan has a problem: motion artifacts, missing or obscured margin data, an incomplete opposing arch, bad or missing bite registration, or debris and moisture. Checking those five points before sending a case avoids most clarifying questions and delays.

A case that comes back with clarifying questions instead of a finished design isn't a sign of a slow designer — it's almost always a sign the scan had a problem that needed flagging before design could start responsibly. Here's what causes that, so it's easier to catch before the case is even sent.

Motion artifacts

Scanning too quickly, or losing tracking mid-scan and resuming, can distort surface geometry in ways that aren't obvious at a glance. These artifacts are especially costly around the margin, where precision matters most and a distortion is easiest to miss.

Missing or obscured margin data

If the margin is subgingival and wasn't adequately retracted or captured, the finish line simply isn't in the scan data to work from. A designer can infer a reasonable margin from surrounding geometry, but inference is not the same as an accurate scan, and it introduces risk that a retake would have avoided entirely.

Incomplete opposing arch

Occlusion can't be checked properly without a full, accurate opposing arch. A partial or low-quality opposing scan means occlusal contacts are being estimated rather than verified — exactly the kind of gap that produces a high spot the patient discovers at delivery.

Bad or missing bite registration

Without a bite registration that seats cleanly, there's no reliable way to relate the prep arch to the opposing arch in the correct position. This is one of the more common reasons a case gets flagged rather than designed straight through.

Debris or moisture interference

Saliva, blood, or debris on the prep at scan time can create false surface data that looks like real anatomy but isn't. It's usually catchable on close review, but it's easy to miss if the scan is only checked at a glance.

The fastest fix isn't better software — it's a two-minute review before the scan is sent. Checking margin visibility, opposing arch completeness, and bite registration before a case ships catches most of these issues at the source.

Full-arch cases leave the least room for scan errors. See how we handle All-on-X and full-arch design. Upload Your Free First Case →

What a good design partner does when a scan has a problem

Flags it and asks before proceeding, rather than guessing and delivering a design that may not fit. A short delay for a clarifying question is a much smaller cost than a design that comes back for revision, or worse, gets missed entirely and shows up as a remake.