What is the CAD/CAM process?

Once any necessary prep has been completed, an intraoral scanner is used to scan the necessary teeth and oral regions. The captured images are then imported onto a computer ready for the prosthetic to be designed. Designing can be done either chairside by the dentist or in a lab.

Once designed, the digital impression is then transferred across to a milling machine which mills the final product out of a CAD/CAM block. The milled prosthetic is then stained and glazed to improve its appearance. Prior to this it may also need firing in a ceramic furnace for crystallisation and sintering, although some blocks such as GC LiSi Initial Blocks are fully crystallized to remove this step. Once inside the patient’s mouth, the prosthetic can be cemented or bonded into place, then adjusted as required.

What are the main advantages of using CAD/CAM?

• Single visit treatments: The speed of CAD/CAM makes same-day delivery possible in cases where the dentist is comfortable and skilled enough to design and mill themselves.
• Patient comfort: Unlike with alginate and silicone impressions, there’s no goo, no gagging and no mess. Some scanners come with thinner tips for patients who cannot open their mouths wide.
• Advances in equipment: Scanners, milling machines and ceramic furnaces have come a long way in recent years, especially in terms of speed. Most scanners are now lightweight and easy to hold, with straightforward importing and exporting of files.
• Reduced shrinkage: CAD/CAM dentistry can reduce shrinkage in two different ways. The first is by designing and manufacturing a prosthetic greater than the required size. Doing this means that on firing it will only shrink to its originally intended size. The other way is by using CAD/CAM blocks that have already been fully sintered.
• Zero porosity: CAD/CAM blocks are made so that any internal porosities have been removed which is difficult to achieve during conventional impression fabrication.
• Lifelike results: CAD/CAM technology and blocks provide all the necessary tools and accessories required to produce lifelike restorations that fit well and are easily adjustable.