COMPUTERIZED DENTAL PROSTHETICS
Cite this article:
Tartaglia GM,
Penchev P, Sforza C.
Integrating digital
technologies for dental
prostheses: from
impression to
single crowns. A pilot
study. Stoma Edu J.
2015;2(2):162-167.
INTEGRATING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
FOR DENTAL PROSTHESES: FROM
IMPRESSION TO SINGLE CROWNS.
A PILOT STUDY
Gianluca Martino Tartaglia1,2
Petyo Penchev3
Chiarella Sforza1*
Functional Anatomy Research Center (FARC)
Laboratory of Functional Anatomy of the
Stomatognathic Apparatus, Department of
Biomedical Sciences for Health, Faculty of
Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
2
SST Dental Clinic, Segrate (MI), Italy
3
3dObject and data Software
Taverne, Switzerland
1
a. DDS, PhD, Assistant Professor and Consultant
b. Master Dental Technician
c. MD, PhD, Professor
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this case series was to assess the accuracy of digital workflow
for single posterior tooth rehabilitation.
Materials and Methods: Ten patients needing single tooth molar or premolar
reconstruction in one or both jaws were randomly selected for this study.
The patients were divided into two groups, one treated with the new digital
procedure (group A), and a second one with the conventional procedure (group
B). The workflow was tested at clinical outcome level to standardize the dental
lab, manufacture facility and clinical template.
Results: Ten definitive zirconia-ceramic prostheses were delivered to the patients
with one-year encouraging results. The mean overall time analyses for the dental
lab revealed differences for group A (40 min) compared to group B (90 min).
Total laboratory costs were lower for group A (no cost for traditional delivery and
quality control) compared to group B.
Conclusions: Digital workflow creates accurate prostheses, significantly
improving efficiencies for the dental team and streamlining the procedures.
Keywords: prosthodontics, digital technologies, digital workflow, single posterior
tooth rehabilitation, zirconia-ceramic crowns
Introduction
The construction of digital dental
prostheses both on teeth and implants
is an established procedure still subject
to optimization from the scientific and
professional dental community.1 Dental
prosthodontics, in particular, derives many
advantages from the digital CAD/CAM
technology in the production of full-contour
reconstruction.2 The digital dentistry
workflow for prosthetic work is currently
still based on an intraoral impression that
is subsequently poured in dental stone,
notwithstanding that impression materials
are subjected to the dimensional changes
of the on-going chemical reactions3, and
stone will show expansion for secondary
reactions while setting.4 Nevertheless, the
Received: June 1st, 2015
traditional workflow is a well consolidated
Accepted: November 5th, 2015
approach in clinical practice and still
* Corresponding author: remains the gold standard, even if research
Prof. Chiarella Sforza and industry are devoting time and
Department of Biomedical Sciences for money to develop new digital methods.
Health, Faculty of Medicine
University of Milan, Milan, Italy In particular, digital impressions and 3d
via Mangiagalli 31 printed models are the only two missing
I-20133 Milan, Italy steps for the development of the full digital
Tel: +39 02 50315385
Fax: +39 02 50315387 workflow for fixed prosthetic restorations.
e-mail: [email protected] With a digital impression system, the
162
data from the intraoral scanner can
be electronically transmitted to the
manufacturer for the fabrication of a
definitive prosthetic restoration. With 3d
printed models, quality control of dental
products can be directly performed from
the manufacturing facility lab in terms of
checking the inaccuracies resulting from
the scanning process, software design,
milling, and shrinkage effects.5-6
The market currently offers different
printers with the ability to print various 3D
objects using various technologies.
The most commonly used printers are:
m FDM (fusion deposition
modeling), where a plastic line
is laid down and it builds up
objects;
m PBP (Powder based printers),
where powder is glued by inkjet;
m SLS (selective laser sintering), where
nylon or similar types of thermoplastic
powders are melted with a laser beam;
m SLA (stereolitography), where UV curable resin is cured in the desired shape
by light source.
For dental purposes, stereolithography is
the most employed to obtain 3d models,
STOMA.EDUJ (2015) 2 (2)