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ePaper created 2015-09-09, 12:07:54 | version 1.38.0
_In what way has CAD/CAM made a major differencetoyourdentalpracticeandpatients? The first time I really experienced the difference CAD/CAM has made for my patients was with one patient, a very successful partner at a well-known architecturalfirm.HecameinonaFridayafternoon around 2 p.m. and said, "John, I'm very sorry to bother you but the crown on my front tooth just cracked. I've got a really important dinner tonight with clients and I'm going away on a 14-day ski trip with my family. If I don't make the trip, I'm in trou- ble. If you made me a temporary, I would be most appreciative." His crown was in two pieces. I told him that I be- lieved that we could do more than just make him a temporary. I thought we could make him a new crownwithCAD/CAMandthelaboratory.Ofcourse, he did not think this was possible. I took the broken piece and slipped it back into his mouth; it fitted perfectly, like a jigsaw puzzle. Ithenhadmyassistanttakeapre-preparationscan. Inexttookthebrokenpieceoff, administeredalittle Novocain to the patient and ground away the piece thatwasstillcemented.Iplacedacordandscanned the preparation with our TRIOS scanner (3Shape). The technician in the laboratory then designed and milled the patient a new crown. Ninety minutes later, the patient left with a final crown and not a temporary. Asafollow-up,helatertoldmethathemusthave really bored his clients at dinner that night, because the only thing he talked about was the crown we made in that one visit. If you look at this case and compare it with what usedtohappenintheolddays,thatsameprocedure would have taken three visits. Now,wheneverIseeanemergencyinoursched- ule that involves something broken, I think that we can turn it into a definitive solution and not just a stopgap of placing a temporary and the patient returning the next week. I know that now we can fit a crown using a TRIOS digital impression and our laboratory. For patients like the one in this example, digital is a lifesaver. _Is there not a financial loss by not having the follow-upvisits? No, not at all. One charges the same fee regard- less of the number of visits because the patient is charged for the procedure and not per visit. So for us, we actually save time and money. In addition, not having to wear a temporary crown is of great benefit for patients. They do not have to come back to our office. _Aretheremoreadvantagesofthistechnology? Anotherimportantadvantageofdigitaltechnol- ogy is its potential for patient education. For exam- ple, I had a patient with a lateral incisor that was perfect from the facial aspect, but from the lingual, there was an amalgam restoration, a composite restorationandaverticalcrackfromtheincisaledge 48 I CAD/CAM 3_2015 I feature _ interview The impact of CAD/CAM on dental practices Interview with Dr Jonathan L. Ferencz who shares his experiences with CAD/CAM technology in dental practice Author_3Shape