E4D

E4D

E4D_image Although the end result is worth it, some dental restorations can be a real inconvenience! Take, for example, the process for getting a dental crown: Amidst several dental appointments that interfere with your busy schedule, you'll have to wait for a dental laboratory to make your restoration, wear an unsightly temporary crown and return to the dental office one last time to have your permanent dental crown placed.

Now there's a way to bypass the aggravation that sometimes comes with multiple-visit dental restorations. With the E4D Dentist Chairside CAD/CAM System, the dental lab is brought to you! Manufactured by D4D Technologies, L.L.C., the E4D Dentist Chairside CAD/CAM System is a variation of a new dental technology that produces several types of dental restorations right in your dental office. With the E4D Dentist Chairside CAD/CAM System, you can have a dental crown, dental inlay, dental onlay or even veneers placed in just one hour!
What Is CAD/CAM Dental Technology?

CAD/CAM dental technology has recently been developed to meet the growing need for comfort and convenience in the dental office. Most CAD/CAM systems generally consist of three parts that work together to produce your dental restoration:

Computer System -- Contains the monitor and hardware that allows your dentist to see and design your restoration.
Milling Unit -- This machine cuts the restoration block into the right shape.
Software -- Design software works with both centers to create your restoration.

First, your dentist will upload a virtual model of your restoration onto the CAD/CAM computer system. Once your tooth is created, your dentist may use the included software programs to change the shape, design or color of your tooth. The final design is sent to the milling unit to be created. The entire process usually takes about an hour while you relax in the dental office.

How Is the E4D System Different?

Typical CAD/CAM dental equipment requires your dentist to take an impression of your tooth, which can be uncomfortable for anyone with a sensitive gag reflex. The E4D Dentist Chairside CAD/CAM System uses laser dentistry to design your tooth restoration. The E4D system contains a high-speed dental laser that "reads" the dimensions of your tooth. The dental laser, combined with a small, intraoral camera, sends this information to the unit's design center, which uses the DentaLogicTM software to create a 3D model of your replacement tooth.

Once the proposed dental restoration appears on the screen, your dentist will be able to enlarge and rotate the image to get a full view of your tooth. The E4D Dentist Chairside CAD/CAM System allows your dentist to see many aspects of the tooth not available on other imaging systems, including your enamel, dentin and even stains.

As the restoration is designed, your dentist can make adjustments to your virtual tooth. There are other software programs available to enhance the dentist's use of the E4D Dentist Chairside CAD/CAM System -- AutogenesisTM uses the dimensions of your neighboring teeth to help shape your restoration and a "rubber tooth" feature allows your dentist to push or pull any area of the tooth to reshape it. The final design is sent to the milling unit, where a metal-free restoration is cut from porcelain or composite resin blocks that come in many shades to match your neighboring teeth.

Is the E4D System for You?

The E4D Dentist Chairside CAD/CAM System offers several benefits to dentists and patients alike -- and advancements are in the works. As the laser can distinguish between your gums and teeth, the E4D System presents the possibility of producing one-hour dental implants in the future.

Right now the only disadvantage to the E4D System is trying to find a dentist who uses it. Special training is needed to operate the software, and procedures that involve the E4D Dentist Chairside CAD/CAM System may be more expensive than traditional dental treatment. Regardless, more dentists are embracing this dental technology -- meaning the E4D Dentist Chairside CAD/CAM System may soon be coming to a dental office near you.

Dental Design of Arcadia is proud to be one of the first offices in the valley to offer same day crowns, fillings or veneers using the E4D Laser System. Call us today to see if the E4D Laser System is right for you.