The Basics of Dental Milling: A Starter’s Guide

In the ever-evolving field of dentistry, dental milling has become a cornerstone technology, transforming the way dental restorations are designed and fabricated. 

This innovative process combines precision engineering with advanced materials to produce high-quality restorations that meet the exacting standards of modern dental care. 

Today, we’re giving the ins and outs of dental milling, exploring its principles, benefits, applications, and future trends we can expect to see in the coming years.

Understanding Dental Milling

Dental milling is a subtractive manufacturing process that involves removing material from a solid block to create dental restorations such as crowns, bridges, veneers, inlays, onlays, and implant abutments. This process is guided by digital design files created through CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software, ensuring accuracy and customization for each patient.

The Milling Workflow

The dental milling workflow typically involves the following steps:

1. Digital Impressions: The process begins with capturing digital impressions of the patient's teeth using an intraoral scanner. This step eliminates the need for traditional impression materials and provides a precise digital model of the patient's dentition.
2. CAD Design: Using CAD software, dental professionals design the restoration based on the digital impression. This design phase allows for customization and optimization of the restoration's fit, function, and esthetics.
3. CAM Processing: The CAD design is then transferred to CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) software, which generates the toolpaths for the milling machine. This software calculates the precise movements required to mill the restoration from the chosen material.
4. Milling: The milling machine, equipped with various cutting tools, executes the toolpaths to carve the restoration from a solid block of material. Depending on the complexity and material, this process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
5. Finishing and Polishing: After milling, the restoration may undergo additional finishing processes, such as polishing, staining, and glazing, to achieve the desired esthetic and functional properties.

Advantages of Dental Milling

1. Precision and Accuracy: Dental milling provides high precision and accuracy, ensuring that restorations fit perfectly and function optimally. This precision minimizes the need for adjustments and remakes.
2. Customization: Each restoration is custom-designed to match the patient's unique dental anatomy, resulting in improved comfort, function, and esthetics.
3. Efficiency: Dental milling streamlines the fabrication process, reducing turnaround times and increasing productivity for dental laboratories and practices.
4. Material Versatility: Milling machines can work with a variety of materials, including ceramics, composites, zirconia, metals, and resins, offering flexibility in meeting different clinical needs.
5. Enhanced Esthetics: Advanced milling techniques allow for detailed customization of restorations, including color matching, translucency, and surface texture, resulting in lifelike and natural-looking outcomes.

Applications of Dental Milling

Dental milling is used in various restorative and prosthodontic applications, including:

• Crowns and Bridges: Custom-made to restore damaged or missing teeth, providing strength and esthetics.
• Veneers: Thin, custom-designed shells that improve the appearance of the front teeth.
• Inlays and Onlays: Precisely fitting restorations that repair cavities or fractures while preserving natural tooth structure.
• Implant Abutments: Custom abutments that ensure the correct alignment and fit of dental implants.
• Orthodontic Appliances: Fabricating precise components for braces and other orthodontic devices.

Future Trends in Dental Milling

The future of dental milling is poised for continued innovation and advancement. Emerging trends include:

• Automation: Increasing automation in the milling process, enhancing efficiency and reducing manual intervention.
• Hybrid Manufacturing: Combining milling with additive manufacturing (3D printing) for greater versatility and complex designs.
• Material Innovation: Development of new milling materials that offer improved strength, durability, and esthetics.
• Artificial Intelligence: Integration of AI in CAD/CAM software to optimize design and milling strategies for superior outcomes.

READY TO GET STARTED? REACH OUT!

We have a team of dental technology experts ready to help you find the right equipment for your practice, including our resident expert -  Milling Sales Director, Joe Andrasko.

We’ve worked with thousands of dentists across the US. We know what it takes to get up and running quickly, especially with new technology. 

That’s why we back all of our products with a comprehensive warranty, 24/7 product support, installation, and perhaps, most importantly, online and on-site training to help get you and your staff started with your new technology as quickly as possible.

Ready to begin? Give us a call at (281) 789-7270 or fill out an online inquiry form here. We look forward to earning your business.