International Journal of Computerized Dentistry, 04/2013

When designing a custom-made dental restoration, using a digital workflow represents an important advance over mechanical tools such as facebows or mechanical articulators. When using virtual scanning procedures, there is a direct transfer from the patient to the articulator. This paper presents a novel methodology to design custom-made restorations. This new approach permits the transfer of all data directly from the patient to the virtual articulator, always taking into account the kinematics of the mandible. Rapid further developments can be expected in the near future. Keywords: virtual articulator, digital facebow, CAD/CAM system, reverse engineering

The aim of this article is to discuss the different types of monolithic ceramic crowns that can be placed on anterior teeth with existing shoulder preparations. Anterior crowns were indicated for the teeth 12 to 22 in the present case. The patient, a 65-year-old male, had received all-ceramic crowns 20 years earlier, which had started to develop cracks and palatal fractures over the last few years. The patient's teeth were prepared and four sets of crowns were fabricated using different monolithic ceramic materials: IPS e.max CAD, Cerec Blocs C In, VITABLOCS Real Life, and ENAMIC. Both shade characterization and crystallization firing were performed on the monolithic lithium disilicate glass ceramic crowns. The silicate ceramic crowns received glaze firing alone. The crowns made of hybrid ceramic (ENAMIC) were treated with a polymer sealant. Keywords: monolithic, all-ceramic, crown, CAD/CAM

Objective analysis of the quality of a stump preparation by conventional methods is complex and expensive. In this regard digitalization has created new possibilities. The high resolution of modern scanners permits visual representation of the most minute preparation parameters. Virtual rulers permit measurement of distances in many construction programs; however, the use of such measuring instruments is too time-consuming for scientific studies. The computer program presented here permits measurement of the preparation angle, calculation of the width of the preparation margin, and determination of the horizontal path of the preparation shoulder. It runs on the Windows XP operating system independently of a CAD construction program. The program analyzes datasets in the STL file format. Keywords: preparation, preclinical training, objective assessment, CAD/CAM

The role and function of provisional restorations has changed significantly in recent years. The reasons include the improvement of material properties and the CAD/ CAM production option using polymer blanks, which are offered by various manufacturers. Besides their classic indications in crown and bridge prosthodontics, provisional restorations are now used for soft-tissue management, preparation and adaptation in complex restorations that include changes in vertical relations, and as mock-ups in esthetic dentistry. Keywords: Provisionals, CAD/CAM, PMMA polymer, crowns, bridges, pontics, overbite, soft-tissue management, esthetics