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CAD/CAM/AM applications in the manufacture of dental appliances

This paper used case studies to report the latest in a series of significant developments in research on the application of computer-aided technologies to improve the capability, efficiency and repeatability of dental device production. Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) and Additive manufacturing (AM) have enormous potential in the production of dental appliances, yet are relatively under-developed in orthodontics. This research was undertaken to ascertain the potential to improve orthodontic appliance fabrication by consolidating the number of components, removing the need for assembly and ability to quantify design characteristics. Through this investigation, the paper demonstrated that digital technologies can be applied to the fabrication of appliance types not previously considered possible. Case studies were used to generate new, innovative design approaches that captured and employed the technical capabilities of AM, such as building pre-assembled components, building in function through geometry and incorporating pre-fabricated components during the build process. The research was the result of a long-term collaboration between the Centre for Dental Technology within the Cardiff School of Health Sciences and, PDR at Cardiff Metropolitan University. This collaboration ensures the clinical and industrial relevance of newly developed techniques that have significant potential for widespread adoption. The approaches developed challenge conventional, lab-based methods and represent a realistic conceptual model, upon which new, more efficient clinical processes can be developed and further research informed.