Computer-assisted generation of all-ceramic crowns and fixed partial dentures.

The successful application of the concept of computer-assisted manufacturing in restorative dentistry requires that computer-assisted design (CAD) and computer-assisted machining (CAM) not only meet but actually exceed currently accepted standards for the material and clinical quality of dental restorations. In addition, the continued development of systems for polyvalent processing of disparate materials and objects must be assured. With these critical requirements in mind, the Precident system is a clinically proven and competitive system. The resolving power of the CCD chip is much improved compared to conventional cameras or charge-coupled devices. The scanner is able to scan entire casts in a fully automated process. In principle, this facilitates the production of frameworks for fixed prosthetic devices (FPD) of any size. It is also possible to create at least partial frameworks for removable prosthetic devices (RPD). A factor of great clinical and economic importance is the polyvalence of the process in materials processing: the numeric control (NC) machine can be programmed for metal alloys and ceramic materials as well as fiber-reinforced resins. At Aeskulap Klinik, the Precident System is routinely used for producing all single crowns and FPDs with up to four units. CAD/CAM all-ceramic crowns and FPDs currently cost about the same as metallo-ceramic or conventional all-ceramic restorations.