Dentistry & Oral Health

Computer Assisted Design and Computer Assisted Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) digital methods have revolutionized many aspects of medical and dental practices. Implant dentistry is a fi eld that has benefi ted signifi cantly from such technology. Currently, CAD/CAM technology is being implemented heavily within this field both at the surgical and restorative aspects and is becoming verypopular both at clinical and laboratory level. Due to this increased popularity, a critical review of this technology covering advantages, disadvantages, limitations and possible future improvements will be covered. Implications at the surgical, restorative, and laboratory level will also be reviewed and presented. Th is presentation aims to clarify common misconceptions and presents this technology as an additional tool that might be helpful to clinicians practicing implant dentistry. Th e following questions will be discussed: How accurate is this innovation at the surgical and restorative level?; Is this innovation reliable for all types of implant treatment?; What errors should be identifi ed and addressed before, during and aft er treatment to improve the overall outcome? and; Are we at a time and age to rely completely on this innovation to deliver implant treatment on everyday practice?