Foudda Homsy

Dr. Homsy is a graduate of the Faculty of Dental Medicine at the Lebanese University. In 1998, she received a Diploma of Superior Studies (DES) in Fixed Prostheses from Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon and in 2018, a DSO from the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Lebanese University. She is lecturer in the Department of Prosthodontics at the same university.

Lecture title: Factors Affecting the Accuracy of All-Ceramic Restorations Related to Digitalization and Manufacturing Procedures

Lecture abstract: Fit accuracy is considered one of the most important criteria for the clinical quality and success of ceramic restorations. Digital dentistry allows the production of dental restorations with more advanced technologies such as subtractive milling/machining with computer assisted design/computer assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems or additive manufacturing with rapid prototyping through direct and indirect optical scanners. These new systems were suggested to generate more accurately fitting restorations.

Several factors have been documented to influence the fit accuracy of dental restorations including restoration-related, impression-related and manufacturing-related parameters. In the digitally-produced restorations, additional factors related to the scanning device, design software and settings are significant in dictating the fit at the restoration-tooth interface. Milling machine accuracy, milling-related conditions such as quality and size of the burs and material properties are important factors that can influence the fit accuracy in subtractive procedures. Laser speed and intensity, angle and building direction, number of layers, software, shrinkage between layers, amount of supportive material and post-processing procedures are related factors affecting the accuracy in additive technologies.

The aim of this lecture is to present the different factors affecting the accuracy of all-ceramic restorations fabricated through substractive and additive technologies.