Delcam will launch its complete open system for the design and manufacture of dental implant restorations in the U.S. at the Western States Conference of Dental Laboratories in Reno, NV, on April 29-30.
Delcam's implantology system captures the implant position and orientation, and performs precision multiaxis milling of customized abutments, implant bridges, and dental bars, according to the company. An Internet-based management system, Delcam Dental Manager, tracks each stage of the process.
The launch is part of the company's effort to replace the so-called closed manufacturing method, which restricts the user to use a limited range of equipment and materials, with "open" systems, which allow manufacturers to combine their own choice of equipment and software while utilizing a broad variety of materials.
A new range of scan adaptors compatible with leading brands of dental implants are part of Delcam's process. Once the scan adaptors have been fitted to the model of the jaw, the scanner can capture the positions and orientations of the implants, along with the shape of the remaining teeth. The precise fit of the scan adaptors, coupled with white-light 3D scanning technology, helps ensure accurate data collection, according to Delcam.
The same manufacturing data that are used to produce the scan adaptors are incorporated into the templates within DentMill that generate the milling instructions to manufacture the implant interfaces on the restorations. The company's goal is to provide the degree of accuracy necessary for bridges and dental bars that need to align with a number of implants.
