We use a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing technology for dental restorations - CAD/CAM.

CAD/CAM dentistry is a field of dentistry and prosthodontics using CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing) to improve the design and creation of dental restorations, especially dental prostheses, including crowns, crown lays, veneers, inlays and onlays, fixed bridges, dental implant restorations, dentures (removable or fixed), and orthodontic appliances. CAD/CAM complements earlier technologies used for these purposes by any combination of increasing the speed of design and creation; increasing the convenience or simplicity of the design, creation, and insertion processes; and making possible restorations and appliances that otherwise would have been infeasible. Other goals include reducing unit cost and making affordable restorations and appliances that otherwise would have been prohibitively expensive. However, to date, chairside CAD/CAM often involves extra time on the part of the dentist, and the fee is often at least two times higher than for conventional restorative treatments using lab services. CAD/CAM is one of the highly competent dental lab technologies.

 

 

 A little over two decades ago, the technology was used to create what is now called the CEREC, a method which creates porcelain dental restorations in a matter of minutes instead of days. The computer program displays a 3-D custom images of teeth and gums, allowing dentists to precisely design the tooth restoration with functional and esthetic characteristics in mind. Once the restoration has been designed by the computer and cosmetic dentist, the information is sent to a sculpting machine (milling) which creates the restoration to the exact specifications of the design through CAM. There is no need for impression taking, temporaries or unnecessary reduction of healthy tooth structure. 

 

 

One of the most effective uses of CAD/CAM in dentistry is the same-day porcelain crown, which removes several steps, including using a temporary plastic crown while a permanent crown is made by a laboratory. With CAD/CAM your restorations are placed in a single appointment. Because the most common CAD/CAM dental technologies use sculpted porcelain to create crowns and other types of dental fixtures such as inlays and onlays, the technology is even promoting safer dental restorations by reducing the use of metal amalgam fillings, which often contain traces of mercury. Using metal free materials that are the closest to your natural enamel, CEREC gives you the highest quality restorative care.

• Immediate 3D images remove the need for taking time-consuming impressions of teeth

• CAD/CAM restorations are better-fitting, more durable and more natural looking (multi-colored and translucent, similar to natural teeth) than previously machined restorations.