Delcam has launched a major upgrade to its DentCAD software for the design of dental restorations. DentCAD is an “open” design system that can use data from all leading dental scanning systems to create restorations, including customised abutments and implant bridges and dental bars, and output the designs to any machining software.The major change in the 2012 release of DentCAD is the introduction of a higher-definition method for modeling. This gives much better representation of fine details such as cusps and fissures on the tooth, and therefore allows a more realistic anatomical match to the surrounding teeth to be modeled.The improved modeling of these details has also enabled the creation of a much more extensive and more realistic library of standard tooth designs within DentCAD. Tooth designs that are much closer to real teeth can be selected from the library. These more realistic models require far less editing to produce the final design for the patient.The second major change has been the incorporation of the unique Axiom alignment functionality for the positioning of scan adaptors. The Axiom technology is based on best-fitting algorithms from Delcam’s PowerINSPECT metrology program, the world’s leading hardware-independent inspection software. It allows the positions of scan adaptors to be located to very high levels of precision, and so enables extremely accurate production of items such as dental bars and multi-implant restorations.Another key area for development has been dental bar design. This has been improved to give more control over the shape of the various profile sections of the bar, so allowing improved connections to be created between implants. Dynamic thickness checking has been added to warn of any insufficiently wide sections within the bar and therefore help to ensure the strength of the overall design.Closer integration has been added between DentCAD and Delcam’s OrderManager workflow management software so that the system is updated automatically with design data as it is generated. The additional automation makes it easier to use the system to manage all the steps in the development of the design, and to maintain a "real-time" view of the order status. Besides incorporating a high degree of automation, the system has been designed to be extremely easy to use for technicians at the dental practice, the laboratory, and the milling centre, thus minimizing administration time while maximizing feedback. All stages of each transaction are logged, providing complete traceability for every order from the capture of the initial scan data through to fitting of the restoration to the patient.
To learn more about Delcam DentCAD, go to www.delcam.com/news/press_article.asp.
For related news, go to Delcam debuts DentSCAN dental scanner.
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