Inclusive® CAD/CAM Milled Bars
Inside Dental Technology delivers updates on digital workflows, materials, lab techniques, and innovation in dental technology through expert articles and videos.
June 1, 2013
Volume 4, Issue 6, June 2013
Page(s):
Cast metal bars have traditionally been used in fixed-removable implant cases as a solution to increase the strength of the acrylic prosthesis and more evenly distribute load-bearing forces across the implants. Typical casting methods, however, can be time-consuming and cost-intensive, relying heavily on inexact processes that often result in structural flaws within the bar.
Fortunately, advances in CAD/CAM technology have brought about communication tools and production techniques that are faster and more precise, increasing the efficiency with which implant bars are fabricated, while at the same time producing exact results.
Using these breakthroughs, Inclusive® CAD/CAM Milled Bars are designed using 3D CAD technology and then fabricated using precision 5-axis milling machines. Moreover, the high-quality titanium alloy from which CAD/CAM bars are milled results in a one-piece framework that is both lighter and stronger than cast metal bars.
The clearest advantage of using CAD/CAM technology in the production of implant bars and frameworks is the superior fit. Traditional casting methods are imprecise, highly technique sensitive, and costly. A cast metal implant bar is typically delivered in segments, attached to the individual implants in the patient’s mouth, and luted together intraorally. The united framework is then picked up in an impression and returned to a laboratory, where the segments are laser-welded together for a second try-in.
Inclusive CAD/CAM milled bars are designed in a 3D virtual environment, which allows the technician to exercise precise, measurable control over its features and parameters. This digital model is then milled from a solid block of biocompatible, medical-grade titanium alloy allowing the milled bar to be delivered for try-in as a single unit, rather than in segments.
The same digital production processes that enable the precise fit of CAD/CAM milled bars also lend them superior strength compared to cast gold implant bars. As a milled, one-piece structure, there are no solder joints resulting from separate segments being laser-welded together. Nor are there any fractures, cracks, or porosities associated with the lost wax technique by which cast metal bars are produced. This, combined with the high-strength material properties of titanium alloy, ensures long-term reliability of the prosthesis.
Even in the unlikely event of failure, an exact replica can be milled from the original digital design file, facilitating replacement without the costly hassle of casting a new bar from scratch.
By providing enhanced visibility and superior communication tools in a virtual setting, CAD/CAM technology requires less time in the laboratory, resulting in a faster turnaround time for a CAD/CAM milled bar than for a conventional cast gold bar, helping to reduce overall treatment duration. Furthermore, while the material cost of gold and gold-based alloys continues to climb, titanium remains relatively inexpensive.
Inclusive CAD/CAM milled bars are compatible with all major implant systems, and the software involved allows for the development of a wide variety of bar geometries and attachment configurations.
All Inclusive CAD/CAM milled bars are designed and manufactured under strict quality control processes by a team of engineers, machinists, quality assurance technicians, and clinicians with decades of combined industry experience. Their combined knowledge of implant dentistry, prosthetic components, and state-of-the-art digital technologies has enabled them to implement cost-effective processes that incorporate the latest in automated CNC technology.
This knowledge allows Glidewell Laboratories to offer Inclusive CAD/CAM milled bars that are more accurate, less expensive, superior in strength and faster to produce than conventional cast bars.
For more information, contact:
Glidewell Laboratories
P 800-854-7256
W www.glidewelldental.com
E mail@glidewelldental.com
Disclaimer: The preceding material was provided by the manufacturer. The statements and opinions contained therein are solely those of the manufacturer and not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dental Technology.
