CAD/CAM procedures, i.e. computer-guided integration of design and manufacturing, have established themselves in nearly all fields of industry and have proved to be a central, now indispensable rationalization tool.
In restorative dentistry also, custom-tailored solutions can be found today for every clinical situation by means of special techniques in combination with the right materials.
The integration of previously separate processes enables efficient work practices through avoidance of interfaces and unproductive storage times. Along with attainable precision and the consequent qualitative improvement in the restoration, this results increased patient satisfaction and acceptance of the rehabilitation. There are practically no alternative technologies, especially where it is a question of individualized problem solutions and processes, and the strengths of CAD/CAM integration come fully to the fore. Recent rapidtechnical development has enabled a perfect fi t in reconstructions, the like of which could scarcely have been imagined 15 years ago.
That is why CAD/CAM systems increasingly become the standard technology also in the fi eld of dentistry. The example of a case report below shows the interdisciplinary protocol at work in an implant-supported single-tooth restoration, from planning to digital realization. The goal here was to achieve a long-term, stable esthetic result. The prosthetic treatment following implant placement was performed on the basis of an individual abutment (Xive Custom Abutments by Compartis, DeguDent, Hanau, Germany) with subsequent fabrication of a ceramic crown on a zirconium cap fabricated by CAD/CAM (Interaction Sacura ceramic, Elephant Dental, Hoorn, Holland)