Laurence is a copywriter and trained journalist. His passion is creating insightful and educational content for dental professionals of every level. Outside of work, he enjoys watching sport, quizzing and spending time with his family.
Though first used in some capacity as far back as the 1980s, it has only been in the last decade or so that its use has become commonplace thanks to major advances in the associated technology. Despite its potential to improve the design and creation of dental restorations, many dentists remain hesitant to adopt it. This guide aims to provide an overview of CAD/CAM, how it works, its core uses, advantages and disadvantages.
What is the CAD/CAM Process?
Once any necessary prep has been completed, an intraoral scanner is used to scan the necessary teeth and oral regions. The captured images are then imported onto a computer ready for the prosthetic to be designed. Designing can be done either chairside by the dentist or in a lab. Once designed, the digital impression is then transferred across to a milling machine which mills the final product out of a CAD/CAM block. The milled prosthetic is then stained and glazed to improve its appearance. Prior to this it may also need firing in a ceramic furnace for crystallisation and sintering, although some blocks such as GC LiSi Initial Blocks are fully crystallised to remove this step. Once inside the patient’s mouth, the prosthetic can be cemented or bonded into place, then adjusted as required.