CAD/CAM technology and zirconium oxide with feather-edge marginal preparation.

Clinical needs and growing patient expectations have forced modern dentistry to focus on finding ever simpler protocols and to develop materials which offer high performance in their mechanical resistance and esthetics. In recent years, the scientific community has been venturing into the world of CAD/CAM, a significant technological innovation imported from the world of engineering. This innovation has made it possible to exploit a material which has long been noted for its mechanical and mimetic qualities: zirconium oxide. While CAD/CAM is revolutionizing the laboratory work of dental technicians, the white color of zirconium has opened new avenues which may lead not only to new options for proper treatment planning, but also to new opportunities in the choice of materials to be used in prosthetic rehabilitation and variation of the types of preparations possible. The present paper will analyze the advantages and limitations of these methodologies, which are capable of simplifying clinical protocols and standardizing results. These technologies have instilled great enthusiasm in the profession due to their innovative nature, but this approach needs to be verified by further scientific evidence.