Recent digital technology offers numerous new and efficient options for restorative dentistry. Within digital dentistry the optical impressioning is the first step towards a digitalization of the patient’s intraoral situation. The resulting digital file is then used for the virtual planning and the virtual design of reconstructions, which thereafter can be milled out of prefabricated blanks of different materials with the aid of CAD/CAM systems. The digital systems available today offer numerous advantages, such as the precision of the reconstructions. A high number of studies has demonstrated good accuracy of the current subtractive manufacturing, i.e. the computer-aided milling or the grinding of ingots. More recently, additive procedures have been introduced. Stereolithography, laser sintering or printing of materials like wax, resins or metals has shown to be even more precise than the subtractive manufacturing. Finally, the digital workflow is interesting not only for the fabrication of dental reconstructions but also for better patient/dentist communication.
Learning Objectives:
- To learn a systematic approach of evidence based treatment planning
- To learn and understand the value of conventional and digital diagnostics
- To learn about the restorative options, their possibilities and limitations
- To learn to select restorative options for predictable white and pink aesthetics