Fixed prosthodontics: time to change the status quo?

The majority of indirect restorations placed in the United States are currently made by conventional procedures in 2 or more appointments, including standard impressions using VPS or polyether, use of dental laboratory technicians to make the restorations, and conventional cementation procedures. The likelihood of rapid change to digital impressions and/or in-office milling is not predicted. However, some dentists have changed to making digital impressions and sending the information to specific dental laboratories to have the crowns fabricated. In general, they are satisfied with the concept and the restorations thus produced. It is anticipated that digital impressions will slowly continue to grow until the concept eventually dominates the market. In-office milling of restorations by CEREC or E4D is now a reliable clinical process in spite of an arduous and long period of development. It is anticipated that this concept will continue to grow. At this time, any of the 3 concepts discussed in this article--conventional procedures, digital impressions sent to a laboratory, or digital impressions followed by in-office milling--are acceptable depending on the preferences of practitioners.