CAD/CAM - international magazine of digital dentistry

14 I I special _ digital age dental professionals with basic knowledge of dental anatomy and occlusion to make modifications to the design, and then sends it through to the automated millingunit. For the dental lab profession, the introduction of digitaltechnologyeffectivelyautomatedorevenelim- inatedsomeofthemoremechanicalandlabor-inten- sive procedures (waxing, investing, burnout, casting, and/or pressing) involved in the conventional fabri- cation of a dental restoration, allowing the dentist and technician the ability to create functional dental restorationswithaconsistent,precisemethod. _Linear versus vertical manufacturing The successful laboratory of the future will need to focus not just on the quality of the end product, butalsomoreefficientproductionmethodstoreduce turnaroundtimewithinthelaboratoryprocess.Digital technology will allow the laboratory production to becomeverticalratherthanlinear. The current laboratory fabrication process follows a very linear progression: model fabrication, day one; waxing, day two; finishing, day three; ceramics, day four, etc. Average production time for an all-ceramic or porcelain-fused-to-metal restoration is approxi- mately five to seven working days based on this fabricationmethod. In the digital laboratory, impressions will still be received from the client. Instead of taking days or weekstogothroughseveralprocesses,wewillbeable toaccomplishthesameprocessintwotothreedays. Once the impression is received at the laboratory, the impression can be scanned and data sent to several digital production stations at the same time. This will potentially allow the model, the restorations (both framework and waxup) and the final ceramic restorationtobecompletedatthesametime(Fig.6). _Digital diagnostic and treatment planning The basis for all long-term success in restorative dentistry is a comprehensive diagnosis and treat- ment plan. The ability to preview a case from start to finish, communicate and co-diagnose with other specialists and specialties about dental patients via the virtual world is the true power and capability of digital dentistry._ CAD/CAM 4_2013 Lee Culp,CDT,is the chief technology officer at DTITechnologies,where he guides the development of the DTI digital technologies program and its applied applications to restorative dentistry.Lee is also the editor in chief ofTeamwork and associate editor of Spectrum.He is also on the editorial boards of Practical Procedures andAesthetic Dentistry, Compendium and Inside Dentistry.Culp’s professional memberships include theAmerican College of Prosthodontics,American Equilibration Society,AmericanAcademy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Academy of CAD/CAM Dentistry and theAmerican Prosthodontic Society.Culp is an accredited member of theAmericanAcademy of Cosmetic Dentistry.He is a leading resource/inventor for many of the materials,products and techniques used in dentistry today and holds numerous patents for his ideas and products.Culp writes many articles per year,and his writing,photography and teaching style have brought him international recognition as one of today’s most exciting lecturers and innovative artisans in the specialties of digital dentistry, dental ceramics and functional aesthetics. CAD/CAM_about the author Fig. 5Fig. 4