State what each reference is for
A reference may be an approved proposal, a record of an existing restoration, a training example or a general discussion image. Label its provenance and stage before asking the designer to follow it. Do not present a generic image as a patient-specific instruction.
Identify which question the reference supports: proposed form, relationship, visual comparison or another explicitly approved purpose. A file can be useful without being authoritative for every decision. If its role is unknown, the responsible team should clarify that role before affected work proceeds.
Build a reference-role index
| Entry | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Reference identity | Which file or view is being discussed, and does disclosure have permission? |
| Stage | Existing, proposed, provisional, approved reference or other documented state? |
| Design question | Which feature or relationship is it intended to inform? |
| Authority | Who confirms that it governs this decision? |
| Limit | What should not be inferred from this reference alone? |
Keep the index with the case brief. A named reference is easier to revisit than “use the photo,” especially when several images or proposals have been exchanged.
Resolve conflicting references openly
If a new reference appears inconsistent with an earlier approved proposal, identify the disagreement and request the governing choice. Avoid averaging incompatible instructions or treating the latest attachment as automatically authoritative.
Illustrative clarification: “Reference A and proposal B appear to request different forms at the marked segment. Please confirm which governs this revision and whether B is superseded.” This frames a review question without supplying an aesthetic formula or a treatment decision.
Use a review view that answers the question
Return the current revision with the reference visible or clearly identified. Ask for feedback on the specific intended difference. A rendering can help compare form, but it is not proof of the final appearance, material behavior or a clinical result.
If the responsible team approves one aesthetic question, record that scope separately from other restorative and manufacturing questions. The same discipline applies to a public portfolio: describe what the CAD view actually shows and do not infer patient outcomes from it.
Prepared by Pristine Dental Design · October 6, 2026. Guidance for professional case communication and review. Actual prescriptions, manufacturer requirements and receiving-team approvals govern design and production.