Clinical Dental Lab

The sunny side of CAD/CAM

Everything seems to be going digital. Photography. Music. File Storage. Even dental labs, which will benefit patients as well as the dentists who serve them. As the materials and technology available for CAD/CAM dentistry have improved, so too have the restorations patients can receive from this form of digital dentistry. Today's CAD/CAM restorations are better-fitting, more durable and more natural looking than previously machined restorations.

Let patients test-drive their new smiles

The decision to pursue ceramic dental restorations is a major one for most patients. There may be a concern that the results will turn out to be different from what the patient imagined — or perhaps the patient simply cannot picture the vast improvement to appearance that a well-designed dental restoration can create.

Three-unit, full-contour ceramic bridge in one sitting

In the following case, the CEREC 3D system (software version 3.65) and its one-appointment capabilities played an essential part in the treatment. The patient suffered from facial myalgia and could not handle a repeat visit for a second try in/insert, owing to the potential stress it would cause. She had previously experienced involuntary facial episodes — the drill had been bitten on — causing more trauma.

How to eliminate shade-taking variables

As a technical advisor, I see a lot of extremes. Complicated full-mouth reconstruction cases with huge numbers of variables and challenges to solve aren’t uncommon to see several times a week. By the time I see the case, I’ve already spoken with the dentist, planned the case, and I know what to expect. Difficult at times, but also fairly routine.

Laboratory communication: Is it possible to achieve minimal to no adjustment bonding appointments?

Adjustment-free appointments are actually possible and can be routine. Delivering veneers, inlays, onlays, crowns, bridges and partial dentures with very little or no proximal and occlusal adjustment can be common when a laboratory adheres to a strict protocol of die handling and die spacing, and has a firm understanding of cusp to fossa occlusion and anterior guidance.

Safety and reliability with CAD/CAM technology

Today, dental technicians and general practitioners are challenged by an ever-increasing number of CAD/CAM systems in the dental market. In order to determine which system is best suited, various aspects need to be considered. While CAD/CAM technology was initially associated with zirconia-based restorations, advanced systems offer an extensive range of materials and solutions for both natural teeth and implants.

The Vanguard System

Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) restorations are the most commonly used dental prosthetics devices. Other technologies, such as all-ceramic and CAD/CAM ceramics, are now finding increasing acceptance. However, their market share still is substantially less than PFM restorations. The technology for creating PFM restorations can be traced back to the pioneering work done by Widman in the 1830s, and subsequent major technological advances in the alloy and in the porcelain compositions beginning in ...

CAD/CAM from the tech advisor’s perspective

Something amazing happened last week. I successfully milled a zirconia crown that was designed using nothing but my newest iPhone application. All I had to do was take a photo of the prepared die and the software did the rest. Dr. Davis asked me to bulk out the cervical embrasures, and after a couple of taps in the “manual customize” function, the adjustments were made and the file was wirelessly sent to the milling machine.

Staying ahead of lab technology: Smart choices reap big benefits

Digital technology is rapidly transforming the dental industry, and as a forward-looking dental lab, it’s important for us to constantly review and adopt the best new products and techniques, so we can offer the best solutions to our doctors and their patients.

Asking your clinician for a new impression

In my last article, I mentioned that as a technical advisor, I evaluate about 40 cases per day. Five of those 40 cases may have inadequate impressions. In the morning, with my coffee in hand, I can easily spot them without even sifting through the work tickets. They’re demarcated with a square yellow paper with a big red stamp that says “Kevin” and a handwritten note that reads “Please evaluate impression and call doctor.”

Easy, quick modeling

Even though dental cases have been modeled for decades mainly using the most varied types of dental waxes or PMMA powder-liquid resins, “The better is the enemy of the good.” As the requirements of modern dental technology change, a modern modeling material should also have new, improved and user-friendly properties.

How a technical advisor can help your lab

“You have one new voicemail,” my cell phone read early one Saturday morning. I knew who it was, and I knew what it was about. One of my clinicians in Ohio was calling to thank me regarding the Jane Doe case that we arduously planned over a period of a month.