CAD/CAM - international magazine of digital dentistry

I industry report _ diode lasers Fig. 1a_Laser HF (Hager & Werken GmbH & Co.KG, Duisburg, Germany): The only device combining two lasers 975nm/6W and 66nm/25–100mW and HF surgical component 2.2mHz for easy, fast and precise cutting of soft tissues. Fig. 1b_The preparation margin can be traced ergonomically via the laser hand piece like holding a fountain pen. Fig. 2_Blood and saliva make the depiction of the prosthetic preparation margin more difficult. _Introduction “DigitalWorkflow”hasbecomeanestablishedterm in present-day dentistry, helping to solve problems in dental technology which would have been rejected due to an unwarranted high analogous effort some yearsago. With digital procedures entering the realms of di- agnosis,therapyandproduction,theworkflowofden- tists and dental technicians has changed considerably over the past years. Today, all dental disciplines rely on digitaltechnologiestoachieveexactdiagnosis,model- lingandproduction.Thebroadspectreoftechnologies reachesfromintraoralscannersforthree-dimensional scanningofthestomatognathicsystemtotheproduc- tion of models via CAD-data by 3-D printers. Dentists anddentaltechniciansmakeuseofthesetechnologies aswellasofmanualproceduresteps.Digitaltechnolo- gies have improved the highly demanding work of today’sdentaltechniciansintermsofreliabilityinplan- ning and treatment. Now, neighbouring teeth, roots andnervescanbecapturedpreciselyviadigitalvolume tomography, with the data being visualised three- dimensionally.Theseoptionsresultinasignificantrisk reduction of implant placement in the jaw bone. Fur- thermore, digitalisation has achieved a fundamental change in patient communication. Dental technicians and dentists are thus no longer demanded exclusively as clinicians and craftsmen. For instance, CAD/CAM technologyandintraoralcamerasallowforpresenting transparent solutions for an improvement of the aes- thetic situation to the patient already in the practice. Therefore, the patient is informed more soundly and canbeincludedindecisionsontreatmentplanning. The production of restorations has undergone a tremendous change in the past years. All-ceramic crowns have replaced porcelain fused to metal as the standard.Thepropertiesofmaterialssuchaszirconium Diode laser application optimises the clinical outcomes of digital workflow Authors_Drs Frank Liebaug & Ning Wu, Germany 32 I CAD/CAM 4_2013 Fig. 1b Fig. 2Fig. 1a