Oral chairside device restorative system industry development process one

2022-06-09

Chairside restorative systems can be summarized as the application of intraoral scanning equipment, digital restorative design (CAD) software, small numerically controlled (CAM) cutting equipment and rapid sintering equipment to complete the design and fabrication of all-ceramic or resin conventional restorations in a single visit (or multiple visits) in the office. It is the result of the continuous development of digital dental care.

--History
In 1980, Professor Werner H. Mörmann of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, had the initial idea of a chairside digital restorative system in mind. The system was named CEREC (chairside economical restorations of estheticceram⁃ics). The system used a low-resolution camera to obtain optical impressions of the restorations, integrated an 8-bit computer system and a small monochrome monitor, and was equipped with a built-in hydraulic single-grit milling wheel that could process all-ceramic inlays by grinding only individual all-ceramic blocks. The first chairside CAD/CAM-ready porcelain block was the VI⁃TABLOCSMarkI, which was used by Prof. Mörmann together with Dr. Brandestini for the first chairside restorative treatment of patients. To this day, the CEREC system is still being improved with supporting software, imaging systems, sintering systems, grinding components, and processing materials.