A digital success story – Communication between clinician and technician

The recent digital technology offers numerous new and efficient options for planning and conducting implant and restorative treatments.

Within digital dentistry cone beam CT scanning and optical impressionning are the first steps towards a digitalization of the patient’s intraoral situation. The resulting digital files are then used for the virtual planning and guiding implant placement.

The main goal is to initially define and later on follow a systematic and evidence based treatment plan, in simple as well as more complex dental rehabilitations.

In the restorative phase digital dentistry is used to virtually design reconstructions, which thereafter can be milled out of prefabricated blanks of different materials with aid of CAD/CAM systems. Evenmore, these CAD/CAM reconstructions can either be made in a centralized production facility or chair-side in the dental office.

The digital systems available today offer numerous advantages, like e.g. 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. Furthermore, the additive fabrication of reconstructions may even be more efficient due to the fact, that less time may be needed for the fabrication and no material excess is produced.

Finally, the „digital workflow“ and the associated additive procedures, is not only interesting for the planning and fabrication of implant reconstructions but also for a better patient/dentist communication. As an example, 3D prosthetic diagnostic files of digital wax-ups or set-ups may be printed out of resin and used for try-in in the clinical situation.

Learning objectives

• learn and understand the value of conventional and digital diagnostics
• learn how to efficiency transfer the digital diagnostics into a final reconstruction.
• learn about the restorative options, their possibilities and limitations