CAD/CAM international magazine of digital dentistry

I 47 meetings _ IDS 2013 I CAD/CAM 4_2012 Regardless of whether the issue is CAD man- ufacturing processes, new materials or advanced milling machines, high-tech is becoming increas- ingly important in laboratory work. Planning and preparationprocessesarebecomingmoredetailed and goal oriented. The virtual process chain actu- ally starts at the dentist’s chair. First, digital im- pressions of the patient’s teeth are made using an oral scanner. The data is then transferred, a virtual design is made using CAD planning software, and finally a precise visualisation of the functional andaestheticresultsisdisplayed.Andallthistakes place before treatment even begins! These techniques not only affect collaboration between the practice and the laboratory, but also offer immediate benefits to the patient. Intra-oral scanners, for example, are very popular because they eliminate the need to take impressions using amouldingcompound—aprocessthatisratherun- comfortableforsomepatients.Forpatientswhoare especiallyanxious,thiscouldbedecisiveinenabling them to overcome their fear of a visit to the dentist. The intra-oral scanner market is diverse. Thanks to different functional principles and different ways ofhandlingtheinstrument,theno-contactimpres- siontechniqueappearstohaveenormouspotential. In addition to generating patient loyalty, it also makes collaboration between dentists and dental technicians particularly efficient. The latest planning tools also contribute to suc- cessful dentist–technician cooperation. With these tools, a virtual preview of the planned dental pros- thetic can be created. In other words, an important decision-making aid is now in the hands of the patient. It is certainly easier to convince patients of the benefits of a particular treatment when they have the desired results before their eyes. The ap- propriate software can thus provide valuable assis- tance during consultations, which is an advantage for both the dentist and the technician. “Developments in the CAD/CAM segment are making great strides,” according to Dr Markus Heibach, Executive Director of the Association of German Dental Manufacturers (VDDI). “Whether it’s materials, software, CAM modules or the networking of the individual components and processes, all of the relevant innovations will be presented at IDS in Cologne. Inaddition,visitorswillhavetheopportunityto go directly to trade fair stands, where they’ll get first-hand information and be able to discuss im- portant issues with manufacturers and experts.” IDS is held in Cologne every two years and is organised by the Society for the Promotion of the Dental Industry (Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Dental-Industrie) and the commercial enterprise of the VDDI, and staged by Koelnmesse._ All images courtesy of Koelnmesse GmbH.