3Shape vs iTero case management: one inbox for both
Your clinics don't all use the same scanner. So your cases live in 3Shape's portal and iTero's portal and a few more — and no scanner maker will ever pull them together for you.
3Shape and iTero each keep your cases in their own portal because each scanner maker wants your lab inside its software — neither will pull the other's cases in. A portal-agnostic inbox solves it: Scan Inbox watches both 3Shape and iTero (plus Medit, DS Core, Carestream, Planmeca and Dexis), downloads each new case, renames it and files it into the one folder your CAD already watches — so you manage every case in one place without switching lab software. Your files stay in your own folders and clinical data isn't stored.
Why 3Shape and iTero cases never meet
3Shape Communicate / Unite and iTero / MyiTero are both excellent at moving a case from a dentist's chair to your lab. What neither does is show you the other one's cases. That's by design: every scanner maker wants to keep your lab inside its own portal, so 3Shape has no reason to surface iTero cases, and iTero has no reason to surface 3Shape's.
For a lab receiving from many clinics on different scanners, that means your incoming work is permanently siloed by brand. There is no "all cases" view — only "all 3Shape cases" in one portal and "all iTero cases" in another, with Medit, DS Core, Carestream, Planmeca and Dexis each adding their own.
Why "just pick one" doesn't work
You can't standardize your way out of this, because you don't choose the scanner — your clinics do. A dentist who bought an iTero isn't going to switch to 3Shape because it's convenient for your lab, and vice versa. So as long as you want the work, you'll keep receiving across both.
Switching your lab onto a single vendor's big management platform doesn't fix it either: it's a heavy migration, and it still won't reach into a competing maker's portal. The cases that arrive loose by email, WeTransfer or Dropbox stay outside it too.
A portal-agnostic inbox sits above all of them
Scan Inbox doesn't replace 3Shape or iTero — it sits above them. It watches both portals, plus the rest, and unifies the case flow:
- Both makers, one place. 3Shape and iTero cases land in a single inbox alongside Medit, DS Core, Carestream, Planmeca and Dexis — and a catch-all email for loose cases.
- One alert, not eight tabs. The moment a case lands in any portal, you get a single notification instead of checking each one by hand.
- Filed for your CAD. Each case is downloaded, renamed to your convention and dropped into the folder your CAD already watches — no matter which scanner it came from.
- No lab-software switch. It's a standalone tool, not a management platform, so you keep 3Shape, iTero and your current CAD exactly as they are.
3Shape, iTero and the rest, unified
| Portal | What it covers | In your Scan Inbox? |
|---|---|---|
| 3Shape (Communicate / Unite) | 3Shape-scanner cases only | Yes |
| iTero / MyiTero | iTero-scanner cases only | Yes |
| Medit Link | Medit-scanner cases only | Yes |
| DS Core / Sirona Connect | Dentsply Sirona cases only | Yes |
| Carestream CS Connect | Carestream cases only | Yes |
| Planmeca | Planmeca cases only | Yes |
| Dexis | Dexis cases only | Yes |
| Email / WeTransfer / Dropbox | Loose cases | Yes (catch-all email) |
Your logins, your folder, no stored data
Scan Inbox connects with your lab's own 3Shape and iTero logins and a dedicated case email. Files flow straight from each portal into your own folder — it doesn't sit between you and your clinics, and it doesn't store your clinical data. You unify case management across every scanner maker without changing how your CAD works or where your STL files live.
One inbox for every scanner
Unify 3Shape, iTero and every other portal into one inbox — auto-downloaded, renamed and filed for your CAD. No lab-software switch, your files stay in your own folders.
Enter your work email to get access
Connects to the scanner portals your dental lab already uses.
FAQ
Can I manage 3Shape and iTero cases in one place?
Yes. Scan Inbox watches both 3Shape (Communicate / Unite) and iTero / MyiTero — plus Medit, DS Core, Carestream, Planmeca, Dexis and a catch-all email — and files every case into the one folder your CAD already watches. You don't switch lab software.
Why don't 3Shape or iTero just show all my cases together?
Because each scanner maker wants to keep your lab inside its own portal, so neither has a reason to surface the other's cases. A portal-agnostic inbox like Scan Inbox sits above both and unifies them.
Does unifying them mean moving my files to a new system?
No. Files flow straight from each portal into your own folder — the one your CAD already watches — renamed to your convention. Scan Inbox is a standalone tool and doesn't store your clinical data.