Process Mining in Digital Dental Laboratories: Identifying Iterations Through Actions and Digital Artefacts

Digitalization has reshaped dental laboratory processes, introducing new tools and artefacts that support collaboration between clinicians, technicians, and engineers. However, these processes still involve collaboration challenges and frequent iterations that extend delivery times and complicate communication. This study aimed to analyze how digital processes unfold in a dental laboratory and to identify the causes of iterations during the design and manufacturing of custom abutments. Ten cases were selected for analysis, and their event logs were analyzed using process mining in Disco. The analysis reconstructed the process from case initiation to delivery, revealing a reference process consisting of scanning, CAD design, verification, manufacturing, and quality control. Iterations most frequently occurred during CAD and verification phase, often triggered by incomplete clinical information, differing interpretations, or design inconsistencies. Artefacts such as order forms, 3D models, and design outputs were found to mediate collaboration but also to introduce new dependencies and sources of rework. The findings show that variations in digital processes are closely tied to communication and artefact interpretation rather than technical errors. The study demonstrates how process mining can support exploratory analysis of observed process cases derived from dental event logs and provides a basis for earlier recognition of information gaps that contribute to repeated or newly introduced phases within design and manufacturing processes in digital dentistry.