International Journal of Computerized Dentistry, 04/2003

The development of optical 3-D measuring techniques and their use in industrial quality assurance, in design, and for rapid prototyping has experienced strong growth. A large number of optical 3-D measuring methods and systems are on the market in dentistry. CAD/CAM production has become firmly established in dental medicine, not least due to the systematic introduction of the Cerec technique and the digiDent method. The scanners on which these technologies are based are designed for a relatively small measuring area. To be able to measure and three-dimensionally assess the face - and the numerous changes in the face/forehead/neck region - it was necessary to design and develop a self-calibrating measuring system with gray code for clinical use: the G-Scan measuring system. Objects up to a size of 500 x 500 x 400 mm can be acquired three-dimensionally with it, with a measuring inaccuracy of 10 to 70 µm in a typical measuring time of 15 s. The present article describes the measuring principle, the system parameters, and the features of the new measuring system, and illustrates the measuring results on 3-D displays of the face in static occlusion and in functional occlusion positions. Keywords: 3-D measurement, optics, stripe projection, face, esthetics, function, G-Scan, CAD/CAM technologies

Apart from the better visualization and simplified entry, the introduction of the new Cerec 3D software has also created new possibilities for designing the occlusal morphology. In this case, not only have the proven Extrapolation, Correlation and Function modes been improved and their use simplified, but an extension of these possibilities by combining different procedures has been introduced. Keywords: Cerec, 3D software, occlusal morphology

Three new software components for the Cerec inLab system, already proven in the dental laboratory area, are presented. They are all based on three-dimensional display. On the one hand, the design can be simplified, and on the other hand, the range of indications can be extended to inlays, onlays, veneers, and multiunit bridges with the aid of these new components. Keywords: Cerec inLab, 3D software