In order to use CAD CAM (Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing) technology as an assessment tool when evaluating the preclinical performance of dental students, it is imperative that one has conidence in the reliability of the process. In this study, a variety of alignment methods were compared to determine both the consistency and accuracy of each method. Although the "Tooth Dots Diagonal" method exhibited the best precision (coeficient of variation=5.4 percent), it also represented the least accurate method when compared to the other methods tested. Using "Small Dots Diagonal" on the gingiva appears to be the best option, exhibiting an acceptable coeficient of variation (17.6 percent) and a high degree of accuracy in terms of tolerance (mean±standard deviation=0.163±0.029). Based on the results of this study, further investigation of CAD CAM technology for the purpose of assessment and education of dental students is recommended.

The importance of provisional restorations is often downplayed, as they are thought of by some as only "temporaries." As a result, a less-than-ideal provisional is sometimes fabricated, in part because of the additional chair time required to make provisional modifications when using traditional techniques. Additionally, in many dental practices, these provisional restorations are often fabricated by auxillary personnel who may not be as well trained in the fabrication process. Because provisionals play an important role in achieving the desired final functional and esthetic result, a high-quality provisional restoration is essential to fabricating a successful definitive restoration. This article describes a method for efficiently and predictably repairing both methacrylate and bis-acryl provisional restorations using flowable composite resin. By use of this relatively simple technique, provisional restorations can now be modified or repaired in a timely and productive manner to yield an exceptional result.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Successful execution of esthetic and restorative dentistry requires attention to detail in every aspect of the case. Fabrication of high-quality provisional restorations can, at times, be challenging and time consuming. The techniques for optimizing resin provisional restorations as described in this paper are pragmatic and will enhance the delivery of dental treatment.(J Esthet Restor

When a dental school is deciding which technology to introduce into a curriculum, it is important to identify the educational goals for the system. The authors' primary goal for the use of a computer-aided resource was to offer students another way to assess their performance, to enhance their learning, and to potentially decrease their learning curve in the preclinical environment prior to using the technique in clinical patient care. The aim of this study was to examine the validity of the "% Comparison" numbers derived from the E4D Compare software program. Three practical examinations were administered to a class of 82 students at one U.S. dental school over a six-week period. The grading of the practical examinations was performed with individual faculty members being responsible for evaluating speciic aspects of each preparation. A digital image of each student's practical examination tooth was then obtained and compared to the digital image of an ideal preparation. The preparations were compared, and the "% Comparison" was recorded at ive tolerance levels. Spearman's correlation coeficient (SCC) was used to measure the agreement in rankings between the faculty scores on practical exams 1-3 and the scores obtained using E4D Compare at the different tolerance levels. The SCC values for practical exams 2 and 3 were all between 0.2 and 0.4; for practical exam 1, the SCC values ranged from 0.47 to 0.56. There was no correlation between the faculty scores and the numbers given by the "% Comparison" of the software.