DIGITAL DENTISTRY
The future of dentistry is digital, and it's like a high-speed train approaching, and its impact will be significant.
Until recently, dental treatments were mostly conducted in an “analog” manner: X-rays were examined on film, patient data was recorded on paper, teeth were modeled in wax, and impressions were made with pastes of various consistencies and flavors. Today, we find ourselves in a phase where certain dentists like Dr. Pier Carlo Frabboni are already part of the digital world, but they still exist as “digital islands” in an analog world.
Digital Dentistry, or “Digital Dentistry” as an evolving process, is developing in a direction where the patient and the dental product to be inserted into the mouth (such as bridges or crowns) still belong to the analog world, while every intermediate process becomes digital
What is possible with Digital Dentistry?
Several Digital Solutions are already possible at Dr. Pier Carlo Frabboni’s Dental Medicine Studio:
- Aesthetic smile previsualization: your smile designed on a computer!
- Optical impressions with intraoral scanners
- Construction of teeth using CAD-CAM technology
- 3D printing of dental artifacts
- Virtual dental implant design (3D Implantology)
- Guided surgical placement of dental implants (3D Implantology)
Digital Smile Plan
Dr. Pier Carlo Frabboni is an expert in Digital Smile Planning and Digital Smile Design (DSD), which involves pre-visualizing the smile. It’s an advanced digital technique that allows the computer-based design of a new smile and seeing the result before starting treatment on the patient.
Each case begins with a “design” of the new smile by creating a new dental architecture on the computer while respecting natural proportions and adapting it harmoniously to the face.
Optical Impression
The intraoral scanner completely replaces the traditional process of taking impressions, allowing for a wide range of restorations, from single elements to full arch bridges. It can capture various materials, providing maximum flexibility in treatment planning. Optical impressions allow for high-quality restorations thanks to sophisticated optical scanning technology, meticulous occlusal space quality control, and physical models milled with high-precision systems.
Teeth Constructed with CAD-CAM Technology
After capturing the dental impression using digital or traditional methods, this information is transferred to the dental technician who, through the use of scanners, transfers the dental images and shapes to the computer and designs the shape of the new prosthetic restorations (CAD: Computer-Aided Design). After this dental design step, the information is sent over the internet to a robotic center in Germany, where highly sophisticated machinery physically constructs the teeth, which are then mounted in the patient’s mouth. (CAM: Computer-Aided Manufacturing)
3D printing of dental artifacts
Special computer-assisted technology and digital equipment allow for three-dimensional printing of objects designed on a computer. These objects are now part of our daily work routine and enable precise reproductions of what has been designed in a very short time, benefiting both patient safety and execution speed.
Virtual Implant Planning
This type of planning is designed for predictable outcomes through reverse planning and prosthodontic criteria. 3D guided implantology helps identify the optimal implant position both surgically and prosthodontically. Involving the entire team from the start, the professional will achieve more predictable results in terms of aesthetics and functionality.
Guided Surgical Placement of Implants
Through computerized programs and in selected cases, it allows for the virtual placement of the implant into the bone, modifying all variables on the computer. This virtual placement can then be replicated identically in the patient’s mouth as it was executed on the computer. Dr. Frabboni is an Opinion Leader for one of the leading companies producing software and implants for 3D implantology.