Transitional Era: from analogical to digital workflow in oral rehabilitation: a case report

Abstract

Digital dentistry is a ubiquitous phenomenon nowadays but it requires access to technologies and learning curve. To aid digital workflow implementation, digital steps can be progressively incorporated in conventional workflows. We aimed to demonstrate a multidisciplinary oral rehabilitation performed mixing conventional procedures with digital open-source software programs and low-cost devices. A 46-year-old female patient had photographs, intraoral scans, and cone-beam computed tomography obtained and used in combination with conventional clinical exams to develop a treatment plan. Power point software was used for digital smile planing and Horos for digital implant planning. The digital dataset were used to guide conventional clinical procedures (scaling and root planning, gingivoplasty, in-office tooth bleaching, fiber-post restoration, implant and bone graft placement, teeth preparation, and protheses design and milling). The inclusion of digital steps in the conventional workflow enabled the performance of rehabilitation procedures with reduced clinical time and increased predictability, favoring the overall workflow and the communication among the different dental specialties. A mixed workflow can progressively lead to an exclusively digital workflow as technologies become accessible and learning curve is coped.

Avaliação contrastante entre os paradigmas digitais e analógicos no desenvolvimento de práticas reabilitadoras: uma revisão sistemática da literatura.

“…Hasanzade et al[18] destaca a superioridade do fluxo digital na adaptação marginal de coroas unitárias completas. Por outro lado, Zavolski et al[19] salienta a complementaridade entre os fluxos digital e convencional, promovendo um tratamento mais preditivo e uma comunicação aprimorada com os pacientes. No entanto, ambos ressaltam a importância do conhecimento detalhado dos profissionais na utilização das ferramentas digitais.…”