One of our dental superheroes, Daniel Portal, took a pause from his work as a dental technician in Florida, to talk to exoBlog about why he’s an exocad software user and a champion of digital dentistry. The lab tech has worked in the dental world for 14 years and been an avid exocad software user for 13 of them. Daniel shares his top tools in DentalCAD 3.2 Elefsina and explains why exocad software will always be part of his digital tool belt.
Q: How did you first get involved in the dental world?
A: There's a lot of dental in my family on my mom's side, and I was always drawn to it. I actually wanted to be a dentist until I saw the video of a surgery, and then I thought, maybe not for me. I’ve always been good with my hands, and when I found out about dental lab work, I thought it could be a good fit. That's how I ended up here.
Q: How did you first get exposed to exocad software?
A: I was hired to do support in Spanish for one of exocad’s first US distributors. They handed me the software and asked me to become proficient with it. I asked, ‘What is it?’ They said, ‘A dental CAD software.’ I had no idea what that meant. That's how I got introduced to exocad’s DentalCAD. I self-taught most of it.
I remember back then, I told myself that someday I'd love to work for exocad. About four years later, I found out exocad needed somebody to provide support in Spanish. That's how I ended up working for exocad. I did all exocad’s tech support and training for the Western Hemisphere for three years, from 2016 to 2019.
Q: What did you do after leaving exocad?
A: After exocad, I launched my own design service. I design for people around the world and offer training. Eventually I became a level three Independent Certified Trainer for exocad. I’ve been doing that now for almost six years.
Q: What do you like about exocad software?
A: For me, the big draw is that exocad software is open. It isn't tied down to any hardware. You can purchase any hardware you want and still work with exocad. I really like the whole open concept.
In general, I love exocad because it has allowed me to develop into a better dental technician. It has opened doors for me personally and allowed me to grow professionally.
Q: What are the advantages of using DentalCAD for your dental design work?
A: I like that DentalCAD allows me to be extremely creative. It is so open that you can find your own solutions to most problems. I've come up with different workflows to simplify certain restoration types like hybrid designs where bars and full suprastructure sit on top. Those are not workflows that exocad was designed for, but by utilizing different tools, you can come up with a workflow for it. So I really like that.
Q: Do you have any favorite features in DentalCAD 3.2 Elefsina?
A: I like that I can export tooth positioning. A lot of the work that I do is esthetic. We do waxups, and then we want to take the same design and adapt it to preparations. It's very helpful to export the teeth we worked on and agreed on in that same position.
Also, with the Elefsina release, I can make corrections to my order form on the fly. If I choose the wrong restoration type, I can correct that during the design process and retain the same tooth shapes I designed previously without missing a beat.
Q: What’s it like training people on exocad software?
A: What's exciting for me is when you see that spark in their eyes—when they understand a concept. That's very fulfilling. The biggest hurdle for some people is the initial jump from analog to digital. But what draws people to exocad software is the same concept I mentioned earlier—that it’s open and they can build their own CAD/CAM system based on what they can afford without any limitations.
Q: What’s your view on the role of AI in dentistry?
A: It's inevitable and a tool we need to get to know. It will lead to a lot more productivity and speed in the lab.
Q: Why do you think exocad software and digital workflows are beneficial for a lab technician?
A: I think people need exocad to remain relevant in digital dentistry. Again, because of the open concept: exocad is future proof. It doesn't matter what hardware comes out in the future, exocad will be able to export files you can utilize with other hardware. But also, and I can't stress this enough, you can come up with your own solutions. exocad software is open enough for you to discover new ways of approaching different cases.
Recently, I did a case where the implant position was not ideal, and we needed to do a full contour zirconia, but only certain teeth needed to be thimble, and that's not something you can do very easily with other software. In exocad it was super simple. It was just part of the workflow.
Daniel is one of the new faces of exocad's "Heroes of Digital Dentistry" campaign, which shines a spotlight on leaders who embody the transformative power of exocad.
Q: Since you’re one of the superheroes in exocad’s new digital dentistry campaign, what can exocad software allow you to do that is almost superhuman?
A: The software allows me to significantly scale my work on my own. Specifically, all-on-x workflows that have become very popular, at least in the US, and having extremely predictable results, from pre-surgery design through surgery, is almost magical.
Q: If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say?
A: Listen to mom and dad. They know what they're saying.
Q: If you could go anywhere for the weekend, where would you go?
A: San Gimignano, Italy.
Q: What’s your favorite tooth?
A: A first lower molar or upper central.
Q: One word for exocad?
A: Awesome.
Daniel Portal is founder and director of Portal Digital Dentistry, a company that has trained hundreds of dental professionals around the world. As former Senior Trainer for exocad in North America, he was responsible for educating exocad resellers, labs, and dentists in the Western Hemisphere. In this role, he traveled extensively to teach lectures and demonstrations at trade shows in Germany, Canada, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Hong Kong (China), and many other countries. Daniel has 13 years of experience using most CAD/CAM systems. Now, as the first exocad-Independent Certified Trainer in the Americas, Daniel continues to train doctors and technicians on how to implement the exocad software into their digital workflows. Follow Daniel on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
by Caitlan Reeg
Writer at exocad
Caitlan Reeg spends her days telling the world about the innovations her colleagues create. She’s passionate about healthcare, technology, and the ways the two interact to improve our lives. A former journalist, Caitlan has worked on staff at Dow Jones Newswires in Frankfurt and at the national public radio program Marketplace in Los Angeles.
