Written by: Ryan Dunlop, CEO and Founder of Full Arch Masters and graduate from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Key Takeaways
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The FAM Method is a photogrammetry-first digital workflow that combines CBCT, intraoral scanning, exocad design, and 3D printing to deliver same-day full-arch restorations in 2–4 hours.
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Fourteen clearly defined steps with verification checkpoints create repeatable accuracy and reduce remake risk across records, surgery, design, and final zirconia delivery.
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Team delegation is central: dentists place implants and approve plans, surgical assistants handle scanning and photogrammetry, lab technicians manage design and printing, and treatment coordinators manage scheduling and financing.
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Photogrammetry outperforms intraoral scanning alone for capturing precise implant positions in full-arch cases, which directly supports passive fit and long-term osseointegration.
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Practices that want to implement this system can register for an upcoming Full Arch Masters course and train their entire team on the FAM Method.
Phase 1: Preoperative Records and Data Acquisition (Steps 1–2)
Step 1 — Full-arch CBCT acquisition
Primary action: Capture a high-resolution CBCT scan of the full arch to map bone volume, density, and vital structures such as the inferior alveolar nerve and sinus boundaries. Required inputs/tools: CBCT unit, radiographic guide with radiopaque markers. Verification checkpoint: Confirm image quality before dismissing the patient. High-quality CBCT images reduce registration deviation compared to low-quality images, so scan quality becomes a primary driver of downstream accuracy. Team role: Surgical assistant captures, dentist reviews. Elapsed time: 0:00–0:20.
Step 2 — Baseline intraoral scan and facial records
Primary action: Capture a full-arch intraoral scan of soft tissue and remaining dentition, plus facial scan data for smile design reference. Required inputs/tools: Intraoral scanner, facial scanner. Verification checkpoint: Lab reviews scan quality immediately to prevent downstream registration errors. Early lab review of scan quality prevents registration errors that compound later in the workflow. Team role: Surgical assistant or trained dental assistant captures scans, lab technician reviews remotely. Elapsed time: 0:20–0:45.
Team Delegation Note — Phase 1: The dentist defines the preoperative record requirements. The surgical assistant executes CBCT and intraoral scanning. The lab technician performs remote quality review. The treatment coordinator schedules the surgical appointment and confirms financing.
Phase 2: Photogrammetry and Intraoral Scanning (Steps 3–6)
Step 3 — Implant placement and primary stability confirmation
Primary action: Place implants according to the approved digital plan, then confirm primary stability to qualify the case for immediate loading. Required inputs/tools: Surgical guide, implant system, torque wrench. Verification checkpoint: Document torque reading for each implant. Same-day provisional placement is feasible even with primary implant stability as low as 15 Ncm insertion torque. Team role: Dentist operates, surgical assistant supports chairside. Elapsed time: 0:45–1:45.
Step 4 — Photogrammetry scan body placement
Primary action: Seat photogrammetry scan bodies (for example, iCam4D-compatible bodies) on each implant or multi-unit abutment. Required inputs/tools: Photogrammetry scan bodies, photogrammetry system. Verification checkpoint: Confirm that all scan bodies are fully seated and stable before capture. Team role: Surgical assistant places scan bodies, dentist confirms seating. Elapsed time: 1:45–1:55.
Step 5 — Photogrammetry capture
Primary action: Capture implant positions with the photogrammetry system. Required inputs/tools: Photogrammetry camera (for example, iCam4D). Verification checkpoint: Review capture completeness in the software before removing scan bodies. Team role: Surgical assistant or dentist operates the camera. Elapsed time: 1:55–2:05.
Step 6 — Post-placement intraoral scan for soft-tissue reference
Primary action: Capture a post-surgical intraoral scan to record updated soft-tissue contours and occlusal reference. Required inputs/tools: Intraoral scanner. Verification checkpoint: Merge photogrammetry data with the intraoral scan in design software, then confirm registration accuracy before proceeding. Team role: Surgical assistant captures, lab technician merges datasets. Elapsed time: 2:05–2:20.
Photogrammetry Accuracy and Passive Fit
Photogrammetry sets the accuracy standard for full-arch implant position capture. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that photogrammetry can demonstrate better trueness and precision than intraoral scanners for capturing 3D implant positions in complete-arch cases. The FAM Method centers implant position capture on photogrammetry because passive fit of the definitive prosthesis depends on that record, which is why the misfit–osseointegration relationship discussed in Step 10 makes photogrammetry accuracy critical.
Team Delegation Note — Phase 2: The dentist places implants and confirms stability. The surgical assistant places scan bodies and operates the photogrammetry camera. The lab technician merges photogrammetry and intraoral scan data and flags any registration discrepancies before design begins.
Phase 3: CBCT Integration and Digital Treatment Planning (Steps 7–8)
Step 7 — CBCT-to-scan registration and prosthetically driven implant planning
Primary action: Fuse CBCT bone data with intraoral scan and photogrammetry data in planning software. Establish the prosthetic target, meaning ideal tooth position, first, then confirm that implant trajectories support that prosthesis. Required inputs/tools: Planning software (for example, exoplan), merged CBCT and scan datasets. Verification checkpoint: Point-based registration can produce lower deviation than surface-based registration, so confirm both the registration method and the resulting deviation metrics before approving the plan. Once registration accuracy is verified, perform safety checks for nerve distance, sinus boundaries, and bone thickness to ensure anatomically safe implant positions. Team role: Lab technician executes registration and virtual setup, dentist approves the plan. Elapsed time: 2:20–2:45.
Step 8 — Surgical guide verification and plan approval
Primary action: Confirm the approved digital plan against the surgical guide used for placement. Verify screw-access positions, cantilever length, and material thickness. Required inputs/tools: Approved plan file, surgical guide, planning software. Verification checkpoint: Fully guided static surgery can reduce angular, entry, and apex deviations compared to freehand placement. Confirm guide-to-plan correspondence before moving to design. Team role: Dentist approves, lab technician documents. Elapsed time: 2:45–3:00.
Team Delegation Note — Phase 3: The lab technician executes CBCT-to-scan registration and builds the virtual setup. The dentist reviews and approves the prosthetically driven plan. The surgical assistant prepares the operatory for immediate-load conversion. The treatment coordinator updates the patient file and confirms delivery timing.
Register for an upcoming Full Arch Masters course to train your full team on the FAM Method, including dentist, assistant, lab technician, and treatment coordinator.
Phase 4: exocad Design and Immediate-Load Conversion (Steps 9–11)
Step 9 — exocad immediate-load prosthesis design
Primary action: Design the immediate-load full-arch provisional in exocad using merged photogrammetry and intraoral scan data. Incorporate esthetic and occlusal goals, screw-access channel positions, and material thickness requirements. Required inputs/tools: exocad DentalCAD, merged scan and photogrammetry files. Verification checkpoint: Confirm screw-access channel alignment and verify that the occlusal scheme distributes loads evenly across all attachment points. The occlusal scheme must eliminate lateral excursive contacts that could overload individual implants. Team role: Lab technician designs, dentist reviews and approves. Elapsed time: 3:00–3:30.
Step 10 — Immediate-load 3D printing and conversion
Primary action: Print the approved immediate-load provisional from PMMA or high-strength resin, then verify passive fit on planning analogs or a virtual model before delivery. Required inputs/tools: 3D printer (for example, Envisiontec or DentaFab), PMMA or resin material, planning analogs. Verification checkpoint: Passive fit is non-negotiable, and any misfit introduces loading stresses that can compromise osseointegration. Seat and confirm fit before sending the prosthesis to the operatory. Team role: Lab technician prints and verifies, surgical assistant prepares for chairside delivery. Elapsed time: 3:30–3:50.
Step 11 — Same-day immediate-load delivery
Primary action: Deliver the immediate-load provisional intraorally. Confirm passive fit, occlusion, phonetics, and esthetics chairside. Torque screws to specification and seal access channels. Required inputs/tools: Printed provisional, torque wrench, screw-access sealing material. Verification checkpoint: Confirm 2 mm occlusal clearance in the molar region and passive seating at all implant positions. Post-operative imaging confirms accurate seating of the immediately loaded provisional bridge. Team role: Dentist delivers and confirms, surgical assistant supports chairside. Elapsed time: 3:50–4:00.
Team Delegation Note — Phase 4 (Steps 9–11): The lab technician owns design and printing. The dentist approves the design and delivers chairside. The surgical assistant manages operatory flow and post-delivery documentation. The treatment coordinator schedules the follow-up appointment for final zirconia records.
Phase 5: Final Zirconia, FP1 Design, and Team Scaling (Steps 12–14)
The immediate-load phase is now complete, and the patient leaves with a functional, esthetic provisional restoration. After a healing period of 4–6 months that allows for complete osseointegration, the workflow resumes with fabrication of the definitive zirconia prosthesis.
Step 12 — Final zirconia design and finishing
Primary action: At the follow-up appointment, typically 4–6 months post-placement, capture updated photogrammetry and intraoral scan data for the definitive restoration, then design the final zirconia prosthesis in exocad. Required inputs/tools: Photogrammetry system, intraoral scanner, exocad DentalCAD, zirconia milling unit. Verification checkpoint: Labs that use intraoral scans, validate scans with a printed verification jig, and require a PMMA try-in before final zirconia fabrication can reduce full-arch implant prosthesis remake rates. Confirm PMMA try-in approval before milling zirconia. Team role: Lab technician designs and mills, dentist approves try-in. Elapsed time: Lab phase, chairside try-in 30–45 minutes.
Step 13 — FP1-specific design considerations
Primary action: For FP1 cases, apply FP1-specific design parameters in exocad, including root banking, case selection criteria, and prosthetic design differences from FP2 and FP3 workflows. Required inputs/tools: exocad DentalCAD with FP1 design parameters, updated photogrammetry data. Verification checkpoint: Confirm that FP1 design parameters are applied and documented before fabrication. Team role: Lab technician executes FP1-specific design, dentist confirms case selection and design approval. Elapsed time: Integrated into Step 12 lab phase.
Step 14 — Team implementation review and workflow scaling
Primary action: Conduct a post-case team debrief. Document timing benchmarks, delegation gaps, and verification checkpoint outcomes. Identify which steps can be further delegated to increase throughput toward 5 or more arches per month. Required inputs/tools: Case documentation, team debrief protocol. Verification checkpoint: Confirm that all steps met target time benchmarks and that all verification checkpoints were documented. Team role: All team members participate, including dentist, surgical assistant, lab technician, and treatment coordinator. Elapsed time: 20–30 minutes post-case.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the FAM Method full arch digital workflow take from start to same-day delivery?
The FAM Method is structured to deliver a screwed-in, same-day full-arch restoration in 2–4 hours from the start of the surgical appointment. This window includes implant placement, photogrammetry capture, immediate-load design and printing, and chairside delivery. Preoperative records such as CBCT, intraoral scan, and facial records are captured at a separate preoperative appointment. The definitive zirconia restoration is fabricated at a follow-up appointment after osseointegration, typically 4–6 months post-placement.
Why does the FAM Method use photogrammetry instead of relying solely on intraoral scanning for implant position capture?
Intraoral scanners accumulate error across long spans, which makes them less reliable for capturing precise 3D positions of multiple implants in a full-arch case. As discussed in the workflow section, photogrammetry’s superior accuracy for implant position capture is the reason the FAM Method uses it as the primary capture method rather than treating it as optional. The practical result is a better-fitting immediate-load provisional and a lower risk of passive-fit failure at the definitive restoration stage. The FAM Method combines both tools, using photogrammetry for implant position accuracy and intraoral scanning for soft-tissue and occlusal reference.
What team members need to be trained to run the FAM Method at volume?
The FAM Method functions as a team workflow rather than a solo procedure. Running it at volume, such as 5 or more arches per month, requires a trained surgical assistant who can execute CBCT and intraoral scanning, place photogrammetry scan bodies, and operate the photogrammetry camera. It also requires a lab technician who can merge datasets, design in exocad, and print and verify immediate-load provisionals, plus a treatment coordinator who can manage the patient pipeline, confirm financing, and schedule the surgical and follow-up appointments. The dentist’s role is to place implants, approve the digital plan and prosthesis design, and deliver chairside. When non-billable steps are delegated to trained team members, the dentist’s chair time stays focused on work only they can perform.
What verification checkpoints prevent remakes in a fully digital full-arch workflow?
Three checkpoints carry the most weight. First, CBCT image quality must be confirmed before the patient leaves the preoperative appointment, because low-quality images increase registration deviation and downstream planning error. Second, photogrammetry capture completeness must be verified in software before scan bodies are removed from the implants, since recapture after removal requires re-seating under anesthesia. Third, passive fit of the immediate-load provisional must be confirmed on planning analogs before the restoration reaches the operatory, because any misfit at delivery introduces loading stresses that can compromise osseointegration. For the definitive restoration, a PMMA try-in before final zirconia milling serves as the standard checkpoint that keeps remake rates at the lower end of the expected range for full-arch implant prostheses.
How many CE credits does Full Arch Masters offer, and are they accredited?
Full Arch Masters is an AGD PACE-approved CE provider, and its courses offer 32 continuing education credits. The full FAM Fellowship program delivers over 90 CE hours across the complete curriculum. AGD PACE approval means the CE credits are recognized by the Academy of General Dentistry and accepted by many state dental boards for license renewal. Credits are earned through hands-on participation in the course, not self-study, which matches the FAM Method’s emphasis on operational, team-based training rather than passive instruction.
Conclusion
The FAM Method workflow, which spans preoperative records and data acquisition, photogrammetry and intraoral scanning, CBCT and digital treatment planning, exocad design, immediate-load conversion, final zirconia design and finishing, and FP1-specific design with team implementation, gives dental teams a complete operational playbook for same-day full-arch delivery in 2–4 hours. Each step defines a team role, required tools, and a verification checkpoint, which turns a one-off success into a repeatable system.
Practices that implement the FAM Method report adding more than $1M per year in practice revenue. The mechanism is straightforward: a faster, fully digital workflow replaces slow hybrid processes, which increases case throughput. Trained team delegation protects the dentist’s chair time, which lets them focus on revenue-generating procedures. Photogrammetry-first accuracy reduces remakes and rework, which lowers overhead costs and improves case profitability. Together, these factors drive the reported revenue increase, and U.S. dental labs using full digital workflows have been reported to have lower remake rates than labs relying on physical impressions, with an even larger gap when photogrammetry replaces intraoral scanning for implant position capture.
As noted earlier, the FAM Fellowship delivers over 90 CE hours of AGD PACE-approved training across the complete curriculum, all built around hands-on, team-based implementation of the FAM Method.
Register for an upcoming Full Arch Masters course and bring your full team, including dentist, surgical assistant, lab technician, and treatment coordinator, to train together on the workflow that delivers same-day teeth in 2–4 hours.
