Facially Driven Digital Diagnostic Waxing: New Software Features to Simulate and Define Restorative Outcomes
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Computer-aided
design (CAD) softwares minimize human designing errors, reduce time and
cost, and serve as more powerful diagnostic and designing tools for
treatment planning in restorative dentistry when compared with
conventional diagnostic waxing techniques. The goal of this article was
to review the features of the available dental and open-source CAD
softwares for a facially driven digital diagnostic waxing elaboration.
Recent Findings
The
literature review demonstrated that when digital technologies are
selected, the fundamental concepts remain, but the protocol differs.
When fabricating a facially driven diagnostic waxing, the digitized
dentition obtained from either an intraoral scanner or digitized
conventional stone cast can be merged with either two-dimensional (2D)
photographs or three-dimensional (3D) extraoral facial scans of the
patient at different positions. This superimposition procedure has been
described in dental and open-source CAD softwares. Indeed, dental CAD
softwares offer intuitive tools for dental professionals; however, the
flexibility in creating virtual designs is more limited compared with
open-source softwares.
Summary
Digital
technologies serve as a more powerful diagnostic and design tool when
compared with conventional procedures. The integration of different
digital technologies has promoted the development of a 3D virtual
patient, allowing clinicians and dental technicians to superimpose data
on patients’ facial skeletons, extraoral soft tissue, and dentition.
Both dental and open-source CAD softwares greatly improve the facially
driven diagnostic waxing predictability because they incorporate the
patient’s facial references.
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