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Relu

July 25, 2025

Scaling without hiring: The lab challenge

HOW AI HELPS DENTAL LABS OVER- COME STAFFING BOTTLENECKS

HOW AI HELPS DENTAL LABS OVER- COME STAFFING BOTTLENECKS

Europe’s dental labs are under increasing pressure. As the demand for fast, precise dental restorations and appliances grows, the number of trained technicians continues to decline. Today, many labs are being asked to do more—with fewer resources.

The situation is critical:

  • The number of certified dental technicians is declining across the EU
  • Training new staff takes months, if not years
  • Senior technicians are retiring, while replacements are scarce
  • Staff are under pressure, and turnover is increasing

This staffing crisis affects everything—from turnaround times and consistency, to stress levels and overall business sustainability.

Scaling output without hiring more people seems impossible.

But not with AI.
Relu offers a cloud-based dental automation platform that handles key CAD tasks like segmentation, model creation, and implant planning—instantly and reliably.

“There is a dental technician labour crisis. With AI tools, dental labs could make their existing technicians much more productive.”

Holger Willems, CEO of Relu

Key performance data from Relu users:

  • 99.7% acceptance rate for segmentation & alignment workflows
  • 95% of models from Model Builder are accepted without edits
  • Design time for models from 20–30 minutes to under 2 minutes

Labs using Relu’s AI services report having 3 times more design output — without the hiring and training burden. That’s a game-changer in an industry where output demands are rising, while technicians are retiring.

Relu’s AI tools integrate seamlessly through a web interface or API, with no hardware investment or software installation required. The platform currently supports:

  • Model Builder
  • Segmentation & Alignment
  • and a lot more is coming very soon

All services are available on a pay-per-use basis, starting from as low as € 1 per design. Cases are reviewed directly in-browser, and users can customize parameters to suit specific clinical needs.

Antoine Coppens, co-founder of Relu, explains: “Labs were promised that digital tools and AI would solve their technician shortage. But many have been left frustrated. Most solutions address only a small part of the workflow, making seamless integration a real challenge. Relu is here to build a full solution to automate lab workflows from start all the way to the finish line.”

New users receive free credits to experience Relu’s automation capabilities firsthand. Even better, the platform is intuitive. Labs can quickly onboard junior staff who become productive almost immediately, while senior technicians are free to focus on advanced design and verification.

With Relu, scaling no longer depends on recruitment—it depends on smarter workflows.

The future of lab work isn’t just digital. It’s automated.

SMARTER WORKFLOWS FOR DENTAL LABS

SMARTER WORKFLOWS FOR DENTAL LABS

Future-proof your dental lab or clinic with intelligent, modular automation tools.

At Relu, we’re reshaping digital dentistry with automation that actually works. Our AI-powered platform is built for dental labs who want to simplify their workflow, boost productivity, and reduce manual work—without installing complex software or locking yourself into subscriptions.

With modular tools we call “services,” you can automate key tasks in your dental planning and dental design workflow—delivering faster, more consistent, and cost-effective results.

Importantly, Relu is not here to replace the skilled dental technician. Our tools are designed to support technicians by handling repetitive and time-consuming tasks, allowing them to focus on high-value, creative, and clinical-critical work. By complementing the technician’s expertise, Relu helps labs manage growing workloads efficiently and sustainably.

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