With modern CAD/CAM processes and chairside production of crowns and inlays in no time at all.
Digital dentistry has made a great leap forward in recent years and offers many new digital possibilities. This results in many advantages, especially for the patient.
Annoying pre- and post-treatment impressions, as well as long waiting times for lab-produced restorative work, have increasingly taken a back seat in our practice since the introduction of intraoral scanners, 3D printers and ceramic milling machines. The majority of our dental work is now produced by us in our own laboratory. In digital dentistry, we speak of CAD/CAM procedures. CAD means Computer Aided Design, CAM means Computer Aided Manufacturing. This means that the computer or software helps us to construct/design dental prostheses and then produce them. This requires an arsenal of equipment, software and an understanding of digital workflows, but once you start using it, the benefits outweigh the risks and you can't do without it.
Instead of the inconvenient impression, the so-called intraoral scanner is now used at the beginning of each treatment with the patient, which generates a 3-dimensional image of the jaws and teeth with a special camera. One image takes about 1 minute per jaw. The data thus obtained is further processed in special software. In addition to the possibility of printing the models of the jaws in the in-house 3D printer, the scans can also be used to design crowns, inlays or even small bridges. The specially designed software helps with the design (CAD) and later also with the production (CAM).
Intraoral scan of the maxilla and mandible. Source: Meditlink
The advantages of this method are obvious: On the one hand, the many annoying impressions with alginates and silicones are no longer necessary, and on the other hand, we save time and money for ourselves and the patient. Since the work no longer has to be produced in a dental laboratory, the costs for the dentist and patient are significantly lower. Of course, a good dental technician is still essential for large and extensive work, but for simpler dental restorations such as veneers, crowns, inlays and small three-unit bridges, the use of 3-dimensional intraoral scanners opens up many new possibilities. The dental technician also benefits from receiving 3-dimensional data sets, as he is also increasingly working digitally today. Sending the digital impression online is fast and usually free of charge if an Internet connection is available.
The patient only needs to be present for the scan and preparation of the teeth. The crowns, veneers, inlays, bridges or temporaries are produced chairside according to design and construction on the computer (CAD) in a special milling machine in the in-house laboratory (CAM).
CAM process in the milling machine. Source: VHF
The machine mills tooth-fast glass ceramic, multilayer zirconia ceramic or plastic (PMMA). The tooth shade is determined together with the patient before treatment. Depending on the tooth color and desired texture, the blank is clamped in the machine. The milling process for a crown, for example, takes 5-10 minutes. After a short break for the patient, the treatment can be completed on the same day.
There are many advantages not only for the patient but also for the dentist: By using special software, 3-dimensional planning for veneers (digital waxup), aligner splints and also implantological planning can be carried out in advance. The tooth models necessary for analysis and waxup are easily produced with a 3D printer or superimposed with the X-ray images for implant planning.
If you have any questions about the procedure or the individual options for your specific case, please feel free to contact me at any time.
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