STL File
An STL file is a 3D file format that represents surface geometry as a mesh of triangles, widely used in dental labs for 3D printing and CNC milling of prosthetics.
STL (Standard Tessellation Language or STereoLithography) is the most common file format for 3D printing in dental laboratories. It describes the surface geometry of a 3D object as a mesh of connected triangles.
**How STL files are created in dentistry:** 1. An intraoral scanner captures the patient's teeth 2. CAD software designs the restoration (crown, bridge, etc.) 3. The design is exported as an STL file 4. The lab 3D prints or mills the restoration from the STL
**STL vs. GLB:** While STL is the industry standard for manufacturing, GLB (Binary glTF) is preferred for web-based 3D viewing due to smaller file sizes and support for textures. Dentaron automatically converts uploaded STL files to Draco-compressed GLB for fast in-browser preview.
Dentaron's Transfer module handles the entire STL workflow — from customer upload through pricing and production to delivery.
Related: 3d-printing-dentistry, cad-cam-dentistry, intraoral-scanner, dental-impression