The use of CAD/CAM system in fixed prostheses: applications and limitations

Abstract

The CAD / CAM system, an acronym derived from the English Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing, is a technology based on the design of a prosthetic structure on a computer followed by its manufacture on a milling machine. It aims at simplifying the production of prosthetic structures, optimizing working time and producing structures with a high standard of quality and aesthetics. The use of this technology consists of three stages: digitalization of the prosthetic preparation, virtual planning and production of the restoration. The dental preparation can be digitized outside the oral cavity, on the plaster model, or inside the oral cavity, through an intraoral scanning system. After scanning the preparation, the image will be transferred to a computer-aided design program (CAD), through which one the operator will be able to design the restoration in a virtual way. Through a milling machine or 3D digital printing, the CAM system will reproduce the desired rehabilitation. Depending on the structure and its purpose, you can choose from different materials, such as acrylic, ceramic, hybrid, metal, and 3D resins. The objective of this work is to explain the use of the CAD / CAM system in Dentistry for the manufacture of fixed prostheses through a searching in the data bases Lilacs, Pubmed, Scielo and Google Academic. It was concluded that the CAD / CAM technology increases the versatility, precision and cost-benefit of making indirect restorations. It is believed that soon, it will be part of the clinical routine of most dentists.