Workflow for complete dentures fabrication in three appointments: A dental technique.

This technical report describes a novel workflow for complete denture fabrication designed to abbreviate the necessary steps for dental prostheses delivery by using a 3-appointment protocol in which preliminary impressions are made in the first session together with the registration of maxillary lip support, occlusal plane, and reference lines for tooth arrangement. A trial denture is fabricated with conventional or computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing procedures and is evaluated in the second appointment for esthetics, the definitive impression, and the maxillomandibular relationship record to provide precise references for definitive denture fabrication.

CAD/CAM technology for fabrication of reduction guide for RPD parallel guiding planes preparation: A dental technique.

INTRODUCTION: The preparation of parallel axial wall guide planes in abutment teeth is essential for providing a correct path of insertion and removal axis for removable partial dentures (RPDs). With the introduction of digital resources, new alternatives to the conventional method can be used to manufacture guide preparation for guide planes. AIMS: To describe the use of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology for the manufacture of guide planes to guide the reduction of the axial walls of abutment teeth according to the insertion and removal axis of the RPD. METHODS: This technique used the "bite splint" module of the Dental Wings software for the virtual planning of guide planes, to promote the construction of axial walls parallel to the abutment teeth. This was performed from the virtual design on a standard tessellation language (STL) file obtained by intraoral scanning, which determined the best trajectory for insertion and removal of the metallic structure. CONCLUSION: Digital technology allows the design and production of guide planes for the preparation of abutment teeth, simplifying the conventionally used technique, with precision and speed.

Trueness of a device for intraoral scanning to capture the angle and distance between implants in edentulous mandibular arches.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The digitalization of completely edentulous arches presents limitations because of the lack of anatomic structures for best-fit alignment during the image generation process of the scanner's software program. PURPOSE: The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate a new device for intraoral scanning and to analyze its usefulness in capturing the 3-dimensional (3D) position of implants in edentulous mandibular arches. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 3D positions of 40 implants in 10 participants with fixed interim mandibular prostheses were evaluated by comparing 3 scanning techniques. Images were generated in 2 experimental groups, with digital scan bodies (group SC) and with the scanning device (group SD) and in a control group (group CT) in which images were obtained by laboratory scanning of casts produced from splinted impression copings. The standard tessellation language (STL) files were superimposed by using a reverse engineering software program to measure the 3D coordinate system. Variations in implant linear displacements (Δx, Δy, and Δz), total 3D displacement (Δx2+Δy2+Δz2), and angle projections (ΔθXY, ΔθXZ, and ΔθYZ) were statistically analyzed (α=.05). The distances between the implants were also measured. The Spearman correlation coefficient (α=.05) was used to find the correlation between the 3D coordinates and the distances between the implants. RESULTS: Group SD had lower values for linear displacement than group SC; however, this difference was not statistically significant except for implant #2. The overall evaluation showed a significant difference with better accuracy for group SD. Concerning angular displacements, group SD showed lesser angular variation for the 3 projection planes. For the distances between the implants, significant differences were only observed for the "all" assessment in which group SD behaved similarly to group CT, while group SC showed the highest values (P<.05). No correlation was detected between the axes (x, y, and z) and the distances between the implants. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluated scanning device led to improved trueness for linear, angular displacements, and distances between implants in mandibular edentulous arches.

CAD/CAM-fabricated removable partial dentures: a case report.

AIM: The objective of this case study is to present the manufacturing process and delivery of a removable partial denture (RPD) using computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 46-year-old female patient presented at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte complaining of the lack of retention in her mandibular RPD. After the design and preparation of the abutment teeth, further appointments were made. In the first appointment, intraoral scanning (IOS) with a Trios scanner was performed, followed by virtual planning of the framework. The RPD was then printed, invested, cast by induction, and polished. In the second appointment, the RPD was delivered. CONCLUSION: The technique proved to be efficient in terms of clinical time and sufficient for patient comfort and satisfaction.