Digital dentistry

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Cerec is the world’s bestselling CAD/CAM device.

When computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) first entered the industry, few dentists predicted the impact it would have on clinical techniques. Fast-forward several years, and thousands of dental practices worldwide boast chairside CAD/CAM systems, with scores more dentists poised to welcome the technology into their own practices.

As the only in-office CAD/CAM device commercially available until recently, the Cerec device (manufactured by Sirona Dental Systems) can comfortably be branded a market leader. MED spoke to Birgit Möller, international marketing manager at Sirona, to find out how dentists can translate this technology into cash.

One-hit wonder

CAD/CAM technology is not for everyone. A token glance at online Cerec forums shows that user responses range from completely satisfied to unhappy, so a first step is to establish whether the system is suitable for your clinic. Practices that produce a large number of indirect restorations, or single-tooth restorations, are typically prime candidates.

"I wouldn't say it's suitable for any practice," Möller admits, "but it's suitable for practices that have high lab costs, where the dentist likes to control the whole process and not depend on lab work."

In-office CAD/CAM technology also allows dentists a new level of artistic expression, she explains, so appeals to those with creative flair.

"There's job satisfaction for the dentist. They're having fun again doing dentistry, to be creative and create a restoration on the screen."

The clinical indications for Cerec include inlays, onlays, partial crowns, posterior crowns, anterior crowns, and veneers. Crucially, the system can provide restorations in a single visit, a perk that dentists can easily convert into increased revenue, as the free time allows them to see more patients. Dentists can also delegate much of the CAD/CAM restoration fabrication process to staff members, freeing up clinicians to focus on high-profit tasks only they can perform. For patients, the system allows them to escape temporary restorations, and limits their number of visits. According to Möller, this has proved to be a key draw.

"For the patient, the key benefit is really to do it in one session," she explains. "You can treat the patient in a more minimally-invasive way, and save tooth substance. Patients don't like temporaries and impressions. If you just explain what's possible, they will accept it in most cases"

Equally appealing for both patient and dentist is the end result. Cerec churns out metal-free biocompatible and tooth colour restorations that can last over 18 years, with an estimated success rate of over 90%.

Balancing the books

The biggest deterrent to dentists considering CAD/CAM technology is the cost and practitioners must be sure the CAD/CAM approach is feasible for their practice. Based on its German retail price, the Cerec system demands a hefty outlay of around US$90,000 plus VAT. Purchasing costs will be more expensive for dentists based in the Middle East, who are likely to incur added customs and transportation costs in the package offered by regional Cerec dealers. Dealers are likely to offer financing or leasing options, however, varying depending on the country.

Möller encourages dentists not to be overwhelmed by the initial outlay cost, but to understand the investment in light of its break-even calculation. Möller argues that, once purchased, the CAD/CAM system generates returns ranging from $700 to $1,200 per restoration, against direct costs of less than $40 per use.

"It's a big investment but on the other side you save on flat costs," she argues. "At first it probably sounds expensive, but look at the break-even calculation and go through where you save costs and time doing this in one session and not in two.

"On average, two to three restorations per week means you have paid the lease for the month, based on a five-year leasing. Anything in addition is almost pure profit."

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