Preparation, design and fabrication of fixed dental prosthesis utilizing digital impressions

Technology has improved and dentistry has entered into the digital age with Computer-Assisted Design and Computer Assisted Machining (CAD/CAM). The implications of these emerging technologies on the design of preparation, lab-processes, and fabrication of dental prostheses have been huge. Preparation designs now requires to fulfill not only the material criteria but also accommodate to the scanning abilities of the digital scanners. Scanners are based on two technologies, parallel confocal, and active wave-front sampling. The interface between impression and machining, to design and plan the prostheses is now simulated in a computer software, which is part of the CAD/CAM system or could be an open software that fits all machines. Machining and even, 3D printing are used at different steps of fabrication of the dental prostheses. Time efficiency and cost effectiveness are being extensively analyzed and it is found that digital technology is winning over the conventional methods lately