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CAD/CAM - international magazine of digital dentistry

06 I I CE article _ daily digital dentistry _Restorative clinicians have been spoiled in thepastregardingmaterialsfordirectandindirect restorations. We’ve had the great luxury of seeing an ad in a journal, getting an offer in the mail or online,orattendingaCEcourseaboutanewprod- uct, technique or service, and then immediately or the next day, we could take action. If we saw a new restorative material for fabricating restorations, we would simply write the request on a lab slip for the new material and expect to get it back in a couple weeks. Think of the poor laboratory technician on the other end, reading perhaps for the first time, the method you want used to fabricate your restora- tion or a specific new material or a mix of mate- rials and techniques. Remember, a laboratory slip or prescription is a work authorization, and if you writeone,thelaboratorytechnicianhastocomply. If we change our minds for the next restoration, we simply prescribe something else. I’m sure tech- nicians sometimes feel as if they’re chasing their tails with all the new materials, techniques and requests. Consider the investment in materials, systems, training and the learning curve they have to endure every time a new material is prescribed. Tothereliefofpatients,dentists,teammembers and technicians comes CAD/CAM dentistry and a little bit of sense and sensibility regarding dental materials. Dental material manufacturers need to invest in the technology, methodology and prod- uct design, as well as the material evolution to the restoration (blocks, mandrels, discs), in order to introduce a new material for CAD/CAM dentistry. Then, in collaboration, dental CAD (computer- aided design) and dental CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) developers must work with that material to produce consistent optimized results. This takes time and effort. Only those materials proven through economic evaluation, clinical va- lidity and proven demand will make it to the final stages and into the software of the CAD systems and into the mills of the CAM systems and ulti- mately into our patients mouths. CAD/CAMalsorequiresthedentisttotakemore control of all facets of patient care; it requires morethoughtthanawhimandahandwrittenpre- scription to choose the right material. CAD/CAM requires thinking through the restorative and aes- thetic process before proceeding with a restora- tion, all better things for the dental professional as a whole. As more and more laboratories and dentists invest in digital dentistry, everyone gains. I'm “all in” for “daily digital dentistry.” I have digital impression-only systems and a chairside CAD/CAM System, E4D Dentist (Fig. 1). There still isn’t just one system that can complete all of the restorativeindicationswehaveindentistry.Itismy preference to select the techniques and materials thatexcelinaparticulararea,ratherthancompro- mise to have one system that says it does a little of everything. For me and my practice (a prostho- dontic practice located in Monterey, CA), all of my single-unit restorations are fabricated using the E4D Dentist system. In addition, with the opening of E4D Sky™ Network and the newest version of the E4D’s DentaLogic software, more and more of my total restorative care will be touched by digital technologies on a daily basis. When you are first introduced to CAD/CAM chairside dentistry, you have the opportunity to refine your thinking on restorative care. You’ll no doubt become a better diagnostician and cli- nician—because of looking at your preoperative conditions and preparations on a large monitor— but also a better and more confident provider of CAD/CAM 1_2013 Fig. 1_Chairside CAD/ CAM System. (Photos/Provided by Dr Curtis Jansen) Welcome to the “Block Party” Author_ Dr Curtis Jansen, USA Fig. 1 By reading this article and then taking a short online quiz,you can gainADA CERP CE credits. To take the CE quiz,visit www.dtstudyclub.com.The quiz is free for subscribers,who will be sent an access code.Please writesupport@dtstudyclub.com if you don’t receive it.Non sub- scribers may take the quiz for a $20 fee. _ce credit CAD/CAM