With the introduction of CAD/CAM (Computer- aided design and Computer-aided manufacturing) technology first in the 1960s and its entry into the dental practice with the scientific works and first prototypes created in the 1970s and 1980s a new field in dentistry has been created - digital dental medicine.
The CAD/CAM technology was created and implemented in prosthetic dentistry in particular to help solving several major challenges - to increase the accuracy and to ensure an adequate strength of the restorations, especially in the posterior area; to create restorations with more natural appearance; to make the process of the restoration manufacturing easier and faster; to increase the comfort of both doctors and their patients.
By reducing the cost of production, introducing new intraoral scanners and milling machines, constantly updating and improving the software, using innovative materials, the CAD/CAM industry is evolving fast. Therefore, it is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of the different systems and to understand what each of them has to offer in order to meet the needs of every practice individually.
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