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ePaper created 2015-09-09, 12:07:54 | version 1.38.0
I 03 editorial _ CAD/CAM I CAD/CAM 3_2015 _As I think back to my younger days, I used to love to take things apart and try to put them back together. That progressed into a hobby as a bike mechanic. Cable replacement, greasing the bearings,wheeltruing…Iloveditall.Ihadminimaltools,butIhadtheknow-howofhowtogetthe job done. When I got my dream job as a shop mechanic, I was amazed that there was actually a propertoolforeveryjob.Thewrenchesandratchetswereliterallythetoolsofthetrade.Itoccurred tome,themechanicneededtounderstandwhatthetoolswerefor,howtousethemandespecially howtocareforthem.Irealisedandappreciatedtheimportanceofthetools,butdidnotwantthem tobethelimitingfactor. Dentistryisexperiencingatrulyremarkableperiodwithmany‘tools’ofdigitaldentistryavailable totheclinicianandtechnician.Thesetoolsarenotonlyprovidingincreasedaccuracyandimproved efficiency,butarealsoimprovingtheexperienceforthepatient,clinicianandtechnician.Commu- nication has also been expanded with digital dentistry, allowing for easier translation of informa- tion to the patient, the insurance company, colleagues and the laboratory. With an open-source approach,thetechnologieshavetheopportunitytobemergedandshared.Addintheadvancesin mobiletechnology,theportabilityandtheutilisationoftechnologybecomesevenmoreappealing. Fromanacademicandresearchperspective,IcanattestthatIamtrulyatechjunkie.Ilovegadgets. Technologyseemstoimproveeveryaspectofmyday.Ifindthetechnologicalsolutiontoaproblem auniquedrivingforcethatharnesseslimitlesspassion.Itappearstobeanexcitingtime! Thespectrumofdigitaldentistryhasbecomequiteoverwhelming.Therearetechnologiesthat providenumerousapproachesforimageacquisition,easy-to-usedesignpackages,milling/print- ing solutions, implant stability assessment and even real-time guided implant surgery. The tech- nologiesseemtorepresenteveryaspectofdiagnoses,treatmentplanningandtreatmentdelivery. Thisissueentirelyreflectsthatstatement.WhitepeaksDentalSolutionsprovidesinsightintotheir scanners, CNC and CAD/CAM. CAD/CAM is explored in greater detail, as Dr Ferencz reviews its impact on dental practices, while Dr Zamanian discusses its use with implant abutments. Lastly, a clinical guide toMaxAlignispresented.Maxrepresentsanewtechnologythatnotonlyoffersa digitalalternativetothefacebow/facialanalyser,butalsoprovidesauniquesetofpatientrecords. Itappearstobeaveryexcitingtime! Butlet’snotlettheexcitementoverwhelmus. In dentistry, we have the privilege of improving the oral health of our patients. There can be littlecomparisontoabikemechanic,asthehumanbodypresentsauniquesetofcomplexsystems. However, the technologies in digital dentistry represent tools. These tools have a purpose and wemustbeabletounderstandwhatthetoolsareforandhowtousethem.Thetoolscannotactas substitutestofundamentalprincipals.Ascliniciansandtechnicians,wemustrelyonourknowledge, skills and evidence-based experience to act as our guide. From the subjective aspect of patient informed consent, to the rigorous protocols of implant surgery, let us exercise what our compre- hensivetraininghastaughtus.Thetoolsaremerelytheretoassistusonourmission. Aswe,clinicians,technicians,educatorsandresearchers,looktoadvancedentistryinamodern technologicalworld,let’skeepthedigitaldentistrytoolboxopentomoretools.Let’salwaysposethe question‘why’andtrytofindasolutiontoongoingproblems.Letuskeeptheaspectofaccessibility inmind,withthedevelopmentofopen-sourceandaffordabletechnologies.Lastly,letusmergeour knowledge,skillsandexperiencewiththetoolsofdigitaldentistrytopropelourprofessionaslead- ersinhealthcaresimulation. Yours faithfully, Dr Les Kalman Dear Reader, Dr Les Kalman