Digital workflow to fabricate snoring CAD-CAM mandibular advancement devices

Area of Science:

• Dental Technology
• Sleep Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are prevalent conditions linked to upper airway muscle atony during sleep.
• Mandibular advancement devices (MADs) are a recognized and effective treatment for OSA, offering high patient satisfaction.
• Current MAD fabrication often lacks detailed information on digital workflows utilizing CAD-CAM and virtual articulators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel digital technique for designing and manufacturing MADs.
• To demonstrate the use of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) with a virtual articulator for MAD production.
• To provide a user-friendly workflow for creating MADs from intraoral scans.

Main Methods:

• Intraoral scans were utilized as the primary data source.
• An integrated CAD-CAM system featuring user-friendly software was employed.
• A virtual articulator was incorporated into the design and milling process.

Main Results:

• A repeatable technique for designing and milling MADs was successfully established.
• The workflow integrates intraoral scanning with CAD-CAM technology.
• The use of a virtual articulator facilitates accurate MAD design.

Conclusions:

• A digital workflow using CAD-CAM and a virtual articulator offers an efficient method for producing MADs.
• This technique addresses the need for detailed guidance on digital MAD fabrication.
• The presented method enhances the production of MADs for treating snoring and OSA.