GAP Australasian-Dentist-May June 2019

Category 42 AustrAlAsiAn Dentist A t a practice in which digital technologies have been prioritized right from the start, new devices are a real pleasure, rather than a duty. that’s why Dr Bernhild-elke stamnitz, from langen, Germany was delighted to be one of the first dentists to be able to use CereC Primescan, the new intraoral scanner from Dentsply sirona, for her daily work. As a CereC coach, she is very familiar with digital impressioning, but she is convinced, from her first experiences with the device, that CereC Primescan represents a great advance in quality. “i simply love new technologies,” explains Dr Bernhild-elke stamnitz. she has her own fully digital practice, which she has been running in langen since 2004. During her studies in Heidelberg, she had her first encounters with CAD/ CAM technologies in dentistry. “At the time, it was a long way from being perfect, but in my opinion, the idea behind it was ground-breaking,” she says. “Whereas, in the early days of digital impressioning, we still asked ourselves which indications it could really be used for, today we ask ourselves: Where can’t it be used?” For Dr stamnitz, the advantages are obvious. “First of all, it’s simply faster,” she explains. “One only has to consider the various steps of the process: lay out spoons of various sizes and try them for size. Afterwards, all of them have to be prepared for use. then the material for the impressioning has to be selected, and the first time it might not work perfectly, so you have to repeat some steps. All of that can be omitted if you use digital impressioning.” the dentist from langen also sees a path to more sustainability in digital impressioning because nothing has to be thrown away afterwards, the need to store materials is reduced, and – most importantly for Dr stamnitz – the focus is centered more on the patient. “Digital technologies are also a great communication tool. During digital impressioning, the patient experiences what’s going on, they can see the situation in their mouth on the screen and they are far better able to understand where and why the treatment is necessary.” Very good becomes virtually perfect Once she had recognized it as correct and appropriate for her practice, Dr stamnitz could no longer imagine doing her daily work without digital impressioning. in her opinion, the technology in this area has developed enormously in recent years. On the one hand, this is thanks to the software updates. the calculation of the 3-D models, the quality of the first suggestions and the accuracy of the fit has improved constantly. On the other hand, CereC Primescan’s intraoral scanner, which has now entered the marketplace, speeds up and simplifies the process noticeably, and produces results that have hardly been possible to achieve until now. “impressioning was already really good before, but now, it is simply better.” in her opinion, this can be concretized by several points: With CereC Primescan, scans can be done in situations where the patient shows signs of periodontally damaged teeth, which are characterized by long crowns and exposed areas of roots. if subgingival preparations need to be made, the scanner can also reach those positions. “until now, that has been an issue that many people have raised as an argument against digital impressioning,” says the CAD/CAM expert. “Places that are difficult to reach can easily be captured with Primescan, without having to make too much effort with the scanner. that really is a great advantage.” Another important improvement is the representation of the margins of the prosthesis. this is very important for the further processing of the scan, because on the one hand, it simplifies the further process of design and fabrication when manufacturing the restoration in the practice. On the other hand, the scan reliably delivers all the information that the technician requires. they can work on the model, and they can set the occlusion and articulation with ease. Dr stamnitz mostly works chairside (“i make up to three teeth directly beside the chair”), but she also hands over larger jobs to her dental technician in the in-practice laboratory. “Overall, it is a very useful concept for the practice,” says Dr stamnitz. “Digital impressioning makes sense, from both a clinical and an economical perspective,” she explains. “But the additional advantage for the patients, who really appreciate the digital experience and talk about it to others is just as important.” CEREC Primescan – a practical test A case history demonstrates how CereC Primescan proves its worth in everyday practice: A patient came to the practice with an inadequate crown, with secondary caries, in position 37. After excavation, a new CereC crown was to be mounted. in order to do so, the new acquisition centre, CereC Primescan AC, with its significantly larger, tiltable touch screen, was first disinfected, quickly and thoroughly. thanks to the seamless surfaces, it is possible to do so, quickly and simply, at any time. Before beginning with the scans, the patient data was called up in CereC Primescan AC, and a new case was created. Overall, the scanner was used three times during treatment: after the preparation of the lower dental arch with tooth 37, for the scan of the opposing dental arch and for the scan of the buccal bite on both sides. All of that could be delegated to an assistant, but Scan perfectly with CEREC Primescan, and gain time for what is really important: your patients Dr. Bernhild-Elke Stamnitz, a dentist from Langen, Germany is full of praise for Primescan, the device that makes intraoral scanning easier than ever before. lInICal