At IDS 2009 Renishaw announced the European launch of its incise dental CAD/CAM system, which combines high-speed 3D scanning capabilities, powerful software and a new milling machine to allow the manufacture of high quality zirconia crowns and bridges.

Said Bryan Austin, Director of Renishaw’s Dental Products Division, “The new incise dental milling system will enable dental laboratories to manufacture zirconia frameworks in-house. Styled and sized to match the incise dental scanning machine, it uses a highly accurate Renishaw contact probe for job set-up and monitoring of the cutting tool. Together with Renishaw’s central milling option, dental laboratories now have access to a dental CAD/CAM system that offers both in-lab and out sourced manufacturing options.”

The new dental milling machine enables single copings or complex bridge frameworks to be manufactured from data obtained directly from the Renishaw dental scanner. Visitors to IDS Cologne saw that Renishaw’s sophisticated dental CAD software analyses this data and automatically determines a best-fit margin line and other parameters. The 3D computer model can then be fine-tuned by the technician if required before sending the data directly to the incise dental milling system, which machines the pre-sintered zirconia.

Before firing the copings or bridge frameworks in a furnace, a colour stain can be added to the zirconia to best match the patient’s existing natural teeth, or left as the original white colour. Zirconia is an extremely bio friendly material, that also provides exceptional strength and optimum aesthetics for even the most demanding restoration.

Renishaw’s extensive research and development programmes enable users to benefit from over 35 years of innovation in industrial measurement and CAD/CAM, also bringing a new understanding and precision to the manufacture of dental frameworks. Today, fitting all-ceramic restorations are an important part of clinical dentistry. Renishaw’s incise ceramic restorative CAD/CAM technology demonstrated to IDS Cologne visitors that it is an essential ingredient in any modern dental laboratory.