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Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

production costs significantly. Hence, the high purchase price of investing in a CAD/CAM sys- tem pays off. The limitless op- portunities it offers for co-oper- ation between laboratories also attest to the superiority of CAD/ CAM technology. Just as the development of airlines made rapid relocation to any corner of the globe possible, so CAD/ CAM promotes work between laboratories from all over the world. And herein probably lies its greatest success: in- ternational co-operation that connects people brings its own benefits and satisfaction. There have been many occasions in my professional practice when I have performed work to order without ever being face to face with clients. This is proof of the importance of Internet commu- nication in the dental industry. Obviously, the CAD/CAM system is only half the story, for the hands of the dental tech- nician are still irreplaceable when it comes to veneering porcelain substructure. No sys- tem can apply porcelain in such a way that the restoration looks like a natural tooth. Hence, the ideal is to combine the pos- sibilities offered by CAD/CAM with the artistic abilities of the dental technician. A properly prepared construction, good marginal seal and the choice of material are all very impor- tant factors, but the final finish of the crown still depends on the aesthetics attained through the skill of human hands. The work of the dental technician requires knowledge of many different materials and how they are fashioned, as well as extensive manual skills in working easily with both colour and shape. A long-standing acquaint- ance of mine, the outstanding master of dental technology Klaus Müterthies, stresses re- peatedly that form takes prec- edence over colour. The pa- tient focuses first on the way the prosthetic restoration harmonises with his natural teeth. If the form is disturbed, colour defects appear together with details that do not have too important an influence on the overall appearance of the crown. Although the majority of patients do not know how to assess a prosthetic restora- tion accurately, I have noticed a growing awareness among them of the quality of the work. This is increasing in proportion to general advances in people’s lifestyles. The majority of us want to remain young and look beautiful forever. Hence, more and more people view dentition in terms of the need not only to restore missing teeth but also to correct those they still have. A good example of this is the boom in orthodontics, and the demand for teeth whitening Fig. 11a Duplicate of temporary crown made from pattern resin Fig. 11b Intra-oral examination Fig. 11c Impression at implant level ‘The ideal is to com- bine the possibili- ties offered by CAD/ CAM with the ar- tistic abilities of the dental technician’ November 19-25, 201212 Implant Tribune United Kingdom Edition page 11DTß Fig. 5a Exposure of implant Fig. 5b Impression coping Fig. 6 Temporary abutment Fig. 7 Gingiva forming with temporary crown Fig. 8 Expected emergence profile Fig. 9 Position of implant axis with regard to bed of crown Fig. 10 Properly constructed temporary crown Fig. 12a All-zirconia abutment on the cast Fig. 12b Palatal view of all-zirconia abutment