High-quality dental treatments with CAD/CAM technology
Janne Ruokola, Planmeca’s Sales Manager for CAD/CAM products, has been working with CAD/CAM technology for more than ten years. Over the years, he has seen first-hand how dental professionals can benefit from going digital. He believes digital workflows will become the new standard all over the world and recommends making the digital transition step by step with Planmeca’s complete solution.
You have years of experience with different dental CAD/CAM systems. How did you originally come to work with computer-assisted design and manufacturing technology?
I have a degree in precision mechanics and worked as a service representative after my graduation. I maintained dental equipment for three years before I transferred to CAD/CAM sales over ten years ago.
Because of my technical background and experience of working in the dental clinics, I found the possibilities computer-assisted design and manufacturing can offer extremely interesting. CAD/CAM solutions can really help dental professionals to offer even better treatments to their patients.
Why should dental professionals go digital – and who would you recommend it to?
General practitioners, dental specialists and technicians as well as dental hygienists can all benefit from digital workflows. With CAD/CAM technology, a dental clinic can offer their patients new services and better treatments – even within one single visit. CAD/CAM allows dentists to design and manufacture inlays and onlays, crowns, veneers, bridges, dental implants, and surgical guides in-house or to plan orthodontic treatments or maxillofacial surgery directly in the clinic.
Digital dentistry also supports patient communication, as the dentist can easily use software for demonstrating the desired end result before starting the actual treatment. As I see it, the increased predictability of the treatments is one of the most important benefits of digital dentistry.
I believe CAD/CAM technology will become more common even when performing dental check-ups. For example, digital impressions can be used to capture the current oral health conditions and for treatment follow-ups.
Why should a dental professional choose Planmeca’s CAD/CAM solutions?
Going digital can be a big step for a dental professional. However, there is nothing to be afraid of – it is not even necessary to digitalise the complete treatment workflow at once. One can easily start by taking digital impressions and integrate the intraoral scanner with other Planmeca devices later. The open Planmeca ecosystem allows dental professionals to proceed at their own pace.
I worked with another dental equipment manufacturer for several years, so I know other systems well, too. What separates Planmeca from the others, is the unique Planmeca Romexis® software platform. It is the biggest competitive advantage for the clinics as well, as it integrates all different workflows into one single software, making the dentists’ work remarkably easier and allowing them to treat more patients in less time. With Romexis, dentists can utilise the captured patient data fast and easily for different indications.
The integration of different devices with each other has a great number of benefits, starting from the compatibility of different data. However, purchasing all dental equipment from one manufacturer does not automatically mean that all collected patient data actually works together without any problems. In this regard, Planmeca’s complete solution is indeed unique, as all Planmeca devices are connected a single software platform, guaranteeing that different data is seamlessly compatible.
This way, CBCT and CAD/CAM data can be easily and seamlessly combined in Romexis without error-prone and time-consuming data transfers. Additionally, all treatments can be planned and designed in Romexis, so no separate software are needed for different workflows – and, as a result, the personnel does not need to learn to use multiple different software. However, all Planmeca solutions are open and thus compatible with other services, such as orthodontic applications, which means dental professionals can work exactly as they prefer, if they choose Planmeca.
You have been following the development of CAD/CAM technology for over ten years now. What does the future of dentistry look like?
I believe the workflows will be digitalised to an even greater extent in the future. Both the dentists and the patients benefit from automatised workflows, which reduce the risk of human error, increase the quality of the treatments, and make the work more efficient. The digitalisation of workflows is happening all over the world, and Planmeca Romexis offers excellent tools for this.
At the moment, there is already a clear consensus of the benefits of guided implant treatments among dentists, so they will become more common in the near future. The implants and surgical guides will be increasingly fabricated chairside so dentists can treat their patients even faster and safer.
In addition to implantology, I believe guided treatments will become the standard with other indications as well. For example, I believe guided root canal treatments based on X-ray and CAD/CAM data will become more common soon.
Copy: Mari Koivunen
Image: Dino Azinur
Planmeca Oy and Planmeca Group
Planmeca Oy is one of the world's leading dental equipment manufacturers with a product range covering digital dental units, CAD/CAM solutions, world-class 2D and 3D imaging devices and comprehensive software solutions. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Planmeca’s products are distributed in over 120 countries worldwide. With a strong commitment to pioneering innovations and design, it is the largest privately held company in its field. Planmeca Oy is part of the Finnish Planmeca Group, which operates in the field of healthcare technology. The Group's turnover in 2019 was MEUR 769, and it employs nearly 2,900 people worldwide.
www.planmeca.com
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