Introduction

Digital chairside restorations represent a groundbreaking advancement in modern dentistry, allowing dentists to design, fabricate, and deliver restorations directly within their office. Powered by dental CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing) technology, this approach eliminates the need for external dental labs and enables same-day restorations, transforming the patient experience and optimizing clinical workflows.

In addition to zirconia blocks, this process can be further enhanced with advanced equipment such as desktop scanners, dental milling machines, and versatile materials like glass ceramics and dental resin blocks, ensuring precision and efficiency in restorative dentistry.

How Do Digital Chairside Restorations Work?

The process of digital chairside restorations involves three main steps, facilitated by cutting-edge technology:

• Digital Impression: Using an intraoral scanner or a desktop scanner, dentists capture a highly precise digital impression of the patient’s teeth. This replaces traditional impression materials, offering a faster and more comfortable experience for patients.
• Restoration Design: The digital impression is uploaded into CAD software, where the dentist designs the restoration with full control over contours, occlusion, and esthetics.
• Chairside Milling: The finalized design is sent to an in-office dental milling machine, which carves the restoration from materials like zirconia or glass ceramics in as little as 15-30 minutes.

Applications of Digital Chairside Restorations

Digital chairside restorations are versatile and can be used for a variety of dental treatments, including:

• Crowns: For damaged or decayed teeth, offering durability and esthetics.
• Bridges: Replacing multiple missing teeth seamlessly.
• Veneers provide esthetic enhancements to the anterior teeth.
• Inlays and Onlays: Conservatively restoring cavities while preserving tooth structure.
• Implant Abutments: Customizing implant components for a perfect fit.
• Surgical Guides: Assisting in accurate implant placement.

Benefits of Digital Chairside Restorations

• Same-Day Restorations: Patients receive their final restorations in a single visit, eliminating the need for temporary crowns or repeat appointments.
• Improved Accuracy: Digital impressions and CAD software ensure a precise fit, reducing the likelihood of errors and adjustments.
• Enhanced aesthetics: dentists have full control over the design, resulting in natural-looking restorations.
• Patient Comfort: The use of digital impressions replaces uncomfortable traditional molds, providing a more pleasant experience for patients.
• Efficiency: Streamlined workflows save time for both dentists and patients.
• Cost-effectiveness: In-office fabrication reduces long-term costs associated with outsourcing to labs.

Materials Used in Chairside Restorations

A wide range of materials can be used in chairside milling machines, including:

• Zirconia: Known for its strength and durability, ideal for crowns and bridges.
• Glass Ceramics: Provides superior esthetics with translucency and natural appearance, suitable for anterior restorations.
• Dental Resin Blocks: A cost-effective and versatile option for various restorative needs.

Equipment for Digital Chairside Restorations

Honchon provides advanced tools and equipment to support digital dentistry workflows, including:

• Desktop Scanners: For capturing accurate digital impressions, essential for CAD/CAM systems.
• Dental Milling Machines: High-precision mills for crafting crowns, bridges, and more in-house.

How Digital Chairside Restorations Are Changing Dentistry

Digital chairside restorations are revolutionizing modern dentistry by introducing efficiency, precision, and convenience into restorative treatments. This technology empowers dentists to:

• Reduce treatment timelines.
• Provide same-day services.
• Enhance patient satisfaction with customized, high-quality restorations.

Conclusion

Digital chairside restorations harness the power of dental CAD/CAM technology and advanced equipment like desktop scanners and dental milling machines to provide fast, accurate, and esthetic solutions for restorative dentistry. With a wide range of materials such as zirconia, glass ceramics, and resin blocks, HONCHON empowers dental practices to stay ahead in modern dentistry while delivering exceptional care to their patients.