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Worldental Daily Bangkok 2015, 22 September

Science & Practice Tuesday, 22 September 2015 L ike never before, the world of dentistry is currently expe- riencing the effects of the digital revolution. Computers and digital devices are making pre- viously labour-intensive manual tasks easier, faster, cheaper and more predictable. Digital dentistry refers to any dental technology or device that incorporates digital or computer- controlled components. Technolo- gies based on these components are rapidly advancing in dentistry. New materials including zirconia or lithium disilicate and new devices such as intra/extraoral face scan- ners and cone beam computed to- mography (CBCT) have increasingly found their way into the field. Predictionsarethatscannerswill beaintegralpartofthedentaloffice andlabworkflowsinthenearfuture. In particular, intraoral scanners (iOS) will allow to standardise im- pression taking procedures, thus increase comfort for the patient as well as reduce working time and consequently costs.The overall ma- jority of dental labs already use lab scanners routinely and it can be expected that many practitioners will follow this trend. One benefit of this development will be better communication between dental of- fice and lab, in order to optimise the digital workflow. Computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and innovative fabrication proce- dures such as 3-D printing and lay- ered manufacturing are also chang- ing the way we treat our patients. They are an essential part of digital dentistry and their improvement is essential for reaching a wide pene- tration of new technologies in daily practice. New materials with high aes- thetic value were recently intro- duced into the market and by now are used by many practitioners to fabricate ‘white’ restorations. Owing to their chemical and me- chanicalcharacteristics,theycanbe usedinalotofindications.However, it must be noted that they have contraindicationsandlimits.Adeep knowledge on these aspects is highly desirable for the practition- ers in order to get the best results from each available aesthetic ma- terial. In the coming months and years there will be a huge inflow of new and improved materials and de- vices.However,digitaltechnologies have already begun to dramatical- ly change the world of dentistry, changing patients’ expectations to- wards dental treatments. Accordingly, dental profession- als need to change the way they think, communicate and work, to adapt to a new challenging scenario that is increasingly driven by the abstract world of digital bits. For them to wait in adopting or integrat- ing these technologies would leave them decades behind. Marco Ferrari is a professor at the University of Siena’s Department of Prosthodontics and Dental Ma- terials. This afternoon, he will be presenting a paper on the impact of new ceramics and digital workflows on dental practice as part of the 2015 AWDC congress programme. New materials and techniques advance digital dentistry ByFDI2015presenterProf.MarcoFerrari,Italy 8 www.fdiworldental.org Preserve teeth with perfect ultrasonic vibrations and steel tips quality ® I AM caring AD IProf.MarcoFerrari WDD0115_08_Ferrari 11.09.15 15:06 Seite 1 WDD0115_08_Ferrari 11.09.1515:06 Seite 1

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