If you don't already know how to use the equipment to do what you plan, you are looking at an expensive education. One that could put you out of business.
this is true in a general sense - but i feel like specifically in Dental much of the science and craft of running a CNC, knowing how to create CAM, or designing your prosthetic are very watered down, and contain a lot of hand holding.
i believe its far easier to run a dental printer than it is to run a rep-rap. this is part and parcel of the dental industry growing into digital instead of digital growing within the industry, as 3d printers normally would grow through industrial technology shifts.
for example none of the printers you buy today will come industry 4.0 spec to be able to easily add automation - because automation of these machines was not a deciding factor in their purchase. yes they are automateABLE via some integration work, any industrial 3d printer such as for example any of the 3dsystems MJP, or Connex by stratasys would be considered Industry 4.0 spec as they are outfitted with onboard computers and wifi and comm ports capable of reading and writing external networking and I/O signals, to work in a factory setting.
Labs arent considered Factory settings, so many CNC's and printers have all this hardware excised. this drives down costs, helps you the lab owner buy in, and allows the units some form of internal automation with software.
dental CAM doesnt require you to create new toolpaths with every job, instead they allow you to recycle toolpaths by creating a sort of template or macro structure for your toolpaths. you don't need to assign new tools, those are saved for you. all the typically machinist duties (or most of them) are trimmed down and semi-automated to be point and click and don't worry we've done the thinking for you.
this makes the systems mostly turn-key, but for manual learning not so much of how to be a machinist - but how to operate the controls. the thinking's mostly done unless some shape that is given doesn't work.
i wouldn't say that theres an expensive education going on with any of the machines you can buy in dental today. i would say even parts that aren't fully or are improperly machined CAN come out finished properly with some hand work, and in the end thats shipped as OK by all the machine makers in our industry - they know we all finish these crowns and dentures by hand anyway, theres no point and no money in selling a fully turn key AI driven factory for dentures that guarantees fit and finish. an undermilled crown that requires a bit of hand finish, is shipped as OK by the Argens of the world. because they know you as an owner can't put the time into improving these templated functions. they don't consider it part of your interests to have objects come out finished. its a waste of machine labor, when you are doing so much hand work. make it rough, get it into the oven. thats priority. that makes you money, and that makes you come back for more.
if anyone bought a Haas VMC and tried to turn it into a dental machine they'd quickly realize and appreciate all the backend development that went into a 'dental' mill. your work holding area contains exactly 0 holder for your disc, so you'd have to engineer one (or buy the Haas accessory),add the 4th and 5th axis, add a home and touch point macro, AND block it from running outside the workzone by creating CAM that forces the same touch point and zeros for every job so the machine doesnt crash. THATS when you see the benefits of having the locked and constricted workzone and semi-auto CAM. its only of benefit to hire and use trained CNC experts if you desire to work outside the dental environment.
i'm only advocating FOR the dental environment for people buying equipment. because yes, while an imes icore 650i might cost 3x as much as a Haas VMC the value for dental is in the work to ensure it can't crash or go awry unless you tamper with it.