CurrentstatusandfuturetrendsindentalCAMrestorativesystems.docVIP

Current status and future trends in dental CAM restorative systems Janko HODOLI?1, Tatjana PU?KAR2, Igor BE?I?3 1,3University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovi?a 6, 21000 Novi Sad 2University of Novi Sad, Medical Faculty, Hajduk Veljkova 3, 21000 Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad hodolic@uns.ac.rs, tatjanapuskar@, besic@uns.ac.rs Abstract: This article presents recent developments in dental computer aided design and manufacturing systems for fabrication of custom inlays, onlays, crowns and fixed partial dentures from perspective of different materials, manufacturing technologies and digitization methods. The use of dental CAD/CAM systems is promising in terms of minimising time and effort made by dentists, technicians and patients for restoring and maintaining patients oral function and aesthetic, while delivering high quality end result. Components and methodologies of the existing commercial dental CAD/CAM systems as well as systems in development are analyzed and discussed in detail. Key words: CAD, CAM, crowns, inlays, onlays, bridges, digitizing INTRODUCTION Automation of the production process or computer aided manufacturing (CAM) can be regarded in two ways: as a computer aided system which purpose is to support activities in manufacturing; or as software which is used to develop control programs for the numerically controlled systems. CAM systems evolved historically in the industrial metal manufacturing environment with beginnings in 1950’s as concept of numerically controlled machine tools. A major milestone in the development was in 1970’s with introduction of microprocessors. This enabled broader and more intensive development of CAM. In the 1980’s complex systems for automation of product design – computer aided design (CAD) and manufacturing emerged. These systems were named CAD/CAM systems (IDEAS; CADAM, CATIA). In the 1990’s six major corporations were dominating available CAD/CAM choices: Computervision, EDS/Unigraphics