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Preface

Innovations and their introduction as products for users seem to be the steering wheel of contemporary industry. The domination of technology and tech-driven companies is not surprising. Apple, Google, and Microsoft have been progressively expanding their development and production capabilities to cover areas not primarily related to their main revenue streams. A good example is the burgeoning smartphone industry. Obviously, all major IT companies are now involved in this business. It is needless to mention that this industry has not only opened the way for a great number of hardware development companies, but has also enabled millions of small start-up software and application development companies and individuals to pair their innovations with the major players. It is clear today that it is all about innovation and small, yet unique cutting-edge ideas and their implementation in the proper environment (team, funding, and support). A small search online reveals countless start-ups with very promising innovations.

The picture is quite similar in health sciences. Innovations are being continuously introduced with the ultimate goal of achieving better and faster patient care. In dentistry, the digital revolution has already arrived. Words like scanning, machining, milling, printing, CAD, and CAM are being used on a daily basis. As the avenue of innovations is endless, the current technologies available are all considered blueprints for future developments. Although research and development are ongoing in the field of digital dental medicine, the activities seem to be mainly based on existing dentistry-derived technologies and led by the idea that “we need to do it as well.” A good example is intraoral scanners. Though not new, intraoral scanners are being introduced continuously by nearly every dental company. A critical comparison between the available scanners clearly shows that the implemented technologies in all current scanners are, to a large extent, very similar. Despite continuous introduction of new versions of intraoral scanners, it is amazing that the application spectrum has not been expanded to cover the important indication of full-arch scans, and the complete digital workflow is still lacking. Clearly, “out of the box thinking” is needed in dentistry.

Digital Workflow in Reconstructive Dentistry is the result of efforts made by the academic team at the Department of Prosthodontics, University Hospital of Freiburg. It aims to build a fundamental understanding of the general principles, science, and clinics of digital dental medicine. The information provided within these pages summarizes the various components of the digital workflow in reconstructive dentistry and discusses their advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, insights are provided about upcoming, game-changing technologies. By reading this book, students, clinicians, and researchers will gain and enhance their knowledge about digital dental medicine and identify the areas they need to focus on next in order to integrate the available technologies in their daily work. Clearly, the path of digital dental medicine will not stop here.

We would like to thank all contributors for their dedication to make this book a reality. Much appreciated is the work of the outstanding lab technicians, namely Udo Plaster, Manfred Pörnbacher, Ulrich Lamott, and Wolf Wörner. Likewise, the support and exchange of information with companies, manufacturers, and developers helped tremendously to refine the information provided by this book.

Wael Att Siegbert Witkowski Jörg R. Strub