Dental cad/cam milling machine
Application of CAD/CAM in Dentistry
Computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacture (CAM) is a process where non-digital data is captured, converted into a digital format, edited as necessary, and subsequently converted back into a physical form with the exact dimensions and materials specified during the digital design process, usually by either 3D printing or milling.[6] This set of stages is known as a “digital workflow”.[7]
Currently, CAD/CAM is used to provide a machine led means of fabricating dental prostheses which are used to restore or replace teeth. This is an alternative to the traditional process of prostheses fabrication, where physical techniques are used, such as impressions, to capture the patient data necessary for the laboratory to fabricate the required dental prosthesis.
Before more widespread acceptance of CAD/CAM, the dentist takes an impression of the site that is to be restored. This is then transported to the laboratory where a study model is made. On that model, an imitation of the final design is made using wax – known as a wax up – which represents the size and shape of the finished dental prosthesis. The wax is then encased in an investment mould, burned out and replaced with the desired material as part of lost wax casting.[8] CAD/CAM makes such procedures unnecessary for the impression is recorded digitally and the manufacture of the appliance is accompanied by additive (3D printing) or subtractive (milling) means.
Examples of dental prosthesis that can be manufactured using this system include:[8]
- Study models
- Orthodontic devices
- Cuspal coverage restorations
- Fixed dental prosthesis
- Veneers
- Removable denture frameworks
- Implant planning and fabrication