Tooth Preparation for Conservative CAD/CAM Restorations

Tooth Preparation for Conservative CAD/CAM Restorations

Abstract:

Conservative tooth restorations have been shown to result in better long term oral health when compared to more invasive restorative procedures like full crowns.  Bonded indirect restorations including those fabricated with chairside CAD/CAM technology allow for more conservative restorations and require a detailed tooth preparation protocol for optimum success.  Tooth preparations can be further enhanced by adhesive dentistry procedures.  Proper burs are essential to achieve the shape and dimensional requirements of tooth preparations.  A CAD/CAM design system can be helpful in evaluation and improvement of tooth preparations.

Introduction:

Thanks to CAD/CAM technology, high quality bonded indirect restorations can be fabricated in-office in one patient visit.  Adhesively bonded restorations are often more conservative than full coverage crowns because retention of the restoration is achieved through micro mechanical adhesion rather than macro mechanical preparation features.  For many clinical situations, full coverage crowns are no longer the best choice for treating posterior teeth.  A meticulous clinical protocol must be followed to achieve restorations that are minimally invasive while still restoring form and function long term.  This webinar will briefly explore the scientific evidence supporting more conservative restorations, examine burs that meet the preparation criteria, look at the role of adhesive dentistry and CAD/CAM technology in achieving better tooth preparations and present a clinical protocol for conservative posterior tooth preparations that lead to better clinical outcomes, and are, hands down, more fun to do!

Learning Objectives: 

• Describe how conservative tooth preparations can lead to better restorations and long-term tooth health
• Synthesize a tooth preparation process to yield the most conservative restoration for a given tooth condition
• Explain how adhesive dentistry procedures can enhance tooth preparations for better clinical outcomes
• Identify burs and their characteristics to achieve optimum conservative CAD/CAM tooth preparations
• Discuss how a CAD/CAM design system can be used as a quality check for conservative tooth preparations