Latest advances in augmented reality technology and its integration into the digital workflow

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Digital Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Traditional smile reconstruction is time-consuming, costly, and often excludes patients from initial planning.
• Digital technologies offer new avenues for diagnosis and treatment visualization.

Observation:

• Augmented reality (AR) allows for immediate diagnosis and pre-visualization of dental outcomes.
• A patient with congenital missing canine, peg-shaped incisors, and diastemas required esthetic rehabilitation.

Findings:

• An AR virtual mock-up was used for real-time modification of the restoration proposal.
• A novel 'CAD-link' workflow integrated AR with CAD/CAM, transforming the AR proposal into a digital wax-up.
• Minimally invasive preparation and veneer reconstruction were precisely planned and executed based on the AR design.

Implications:

• The integrated AR and CAD/CAM workflow is anticipated to be time and cost-efficient.
• This patient-centered approach enhances communication between patients and dental teams.
• Digital tools facilitate precise planning and execution of esthetic dental rehabilitations.