Digital Dentistry

The recent digital technology offers numerous new and efficient options for restorative dentistry. Within digital dentistry the optical impressionning is the first step towards a digitalization of the patient’s intraoral situation. The resulting digital file is then used for the virtual plannification and the virtual design of reconstructions, which thereafter can be milled out of prefabricated blanks of different materials with aid of CAD/CAM systems. The digital systems available today offer numerous advantages, like e.g. the precision of the reconstructions. A high number of studies has demonstrated good accuracy of the current subtractive manufacturing, i.e. the computer-aided milling or the grinding of ingots. 

Finally, the „digital workflow“, is not only interesting for the fabrication of dental reconstructions but also for a better patient/dentist communication.

However and clearly an important aspect that will be addressed in this lecture is that digital technologies are still superior in a verity of clinical scenarios.

Thereby a deep understanding for the advantages and disadvantages of digital dentistry is crucial.