Page 51 - CEREC Q3|2013

quarter 4 | 2013 | cerecdoctors.com | 49
the damage of the parafunction is the
least invasive. And, it can be a potential
minimally invasive and minimal cost
first step in lessening damage to teeth
or restorative work from the effects of
bruxism.
For years, the most-used method to
create some form of protective appli-
ance for a patient was to take a phys-
ical impression and send it off to the
laboratory. While this can work well, a
traditional impression has the poten-
tial to be wrought with inaccuracies
due to expansion and contraction of the
impression and eventual stone model.
CEREC users know that there are
significant advantages to a digital
impression. Digital impressions have
been successfully used for close to
30 years — since the first generation
of CEREC was used to fabricate all
types of indirect restorations — inlays,
onlays, eventually crowns, veneers and
abutments.
Today, additional options are available
for CEREC users to prescribe an oral
appliance for the treatment of bruxism
with a digital scan. The company Dream-
gard is the first to introduce an FDA-
cleared digital solution for the treatment
of bruxism using the CEREC system.
CEREC users can take a digital
scan using their CEREC Omnicam or
Bluecam, and then have an FDA-cleared
bruxism splint fabricated for their
patients. Some potential advantages to
the Dreamgard solution using a digital
impression are the following:
• According to the manufacturer,
Dreamgard appliances require only an
upper impression because the night
guard is delivered via a self-equili-
brating process that ensures a balanced
bite without fitting or adjustment.
• Dreamgardsplints aremade inanFDA-
regulated production facility, which
ensures safety, quality and consistency.
• Digital splints have the potential to fit
Fig. 1:
Scanning
Fig. 2:
Delivery of
appliance
Fig. 3:
Equilibrating
the appliance
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