Tiếng Việt
Expertise meets technique
Digitalization has been impacting on dental laboratories for some years now. Alongside subtractive manufacturing such as milling, additive processes, or 3D printing, have found their way into the laboratory. In spite of these developments, specialist knowledge and detailed planning continue to be key requirements for achieving accurately fitting high-quality restorations. Still, the advantages of digital manufacturing cannot be denied, regardless of whether milling or 3D printing processes are used. Two of the main advantages are:
- ability to create objects with exceptionally high precision and
- excellent reproducibility based on digital data files.
Today, the workflow in the laboratory can be mapped out almost completely in digital steps: from receiving the intraoral scan data to designing and printing or milling the final product. As many analogue working steps can be replaced, or at least expedited, with digital technology, there is more time to focus on design and esthetics. This approach leads to accurately fitting results achieved in a time efficient manner.
Materials specifically designed for dental applications are tailored to the needs of dental laboratories in terms of precision, esthetics and strength. They ensure the reliability of the process and enhance the quality of the workpieces produced in the laboratory. Which process is best suited for a particular case? There are some basic considerations that come into play when deciding on a process.
Interfacing with existing processes
Using digital technology usually leads to an increase in the range of applications and the product portfolio while familiar procedures can stay in place, including the processing of digital data. Since as of yet not all manual working steps can be implemented using digital technology, digital procedures are often employed to complement and enhance the “classic way of doing things”. 3D printing is a good example of this. 3D printing can be integrated into the existing workflow to streamline it and digitalize a large chunk of the fabrication process.
For instance, just think what you can do when you combine digital manufacturing with the press technology to create ceramic restorations: The 3D printer produces the wax patterns in burnout material, which, after the burnout process, can be pressed in the usual manner. 3D printers can be easily integrated into the existing laboratory settings without much technical effort. By contrast, the acquisition of a milling machine will have greater consequences on the day-to-day routines of a laboratory.
If a dental mill is used for producing restorations, virtually all analogue steps will be replaced by a digital process. Unlike a 3D printer, a mill does not assist the workflow but basically determines the fabrication method. Once purchased, the milling machine will serve to produce
Material selection and field of application
The more materials are processed in the laboratory and the more areas of application are covered, the higher the utilization of the mill and thus its profitability. The milling process is suitable for almost any material you want, starting from glass ceramics such as IPS e.max CAD to zirconia including IPS e.max ZirCAD. Even dental alloys, e.g. Colado CAD CoCr4, can processed in a mill.
3D printers also cover a wide range of applications – from models to drilling templates, splints, crowns and bridges. In all cases, printers produce process-supporting pieces. The layered structure of the printed objects makes it possible to implement virtually any geometrical configuration conceivable – even in situations where space is limited.
By contrast, milling machines are often limited in this respect because of the limited flexibility of the tools they use. However, there are things that a 3D printer cannot do yet: printers cannot yet cover the same broad spectrum of materials as do milling machines. Nonetheless, there are overlaps in the range of materials that these two technologies offer. For instance, drilling templates or wax patterns can be produced with both of them.
