A Survey of Air Force General Dentists Regarding CAD/CAM Usage

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to survey Air Force (AF) general dentists on their past training and clinical practice in utilization of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. The survey focused on their dental school, residency (if attended), and AF training along with their material use, and practice habits.
Methods: A survey consisting of 74 questions was generated using the website “Survey Monkey”. A link to the survey was sent through e-mail to 546 general dentists in the AF Dental Corps of which 306 replied. The survey consisted of six sections including demographics, dental school CAD/CAM training, Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD 1 year and 2 year programs) CAD/CAM training, CAD/CAM daily usage and production in an AF clinic, and finally a section for non-users of CAD/CAM.
Results: A response rate of 56% was achieved. IPS e.max CAD (Ivoclar Vivadent) was the most utilized material in both residency training and AF clinics. Dentists report using CAD/CAM on premolars and 1st molars the most. The most frequently used cements were RelyX Unicem (3M ESPE) and Nexus 3 (Kerr). Features that clinicians liked about CAD/CAM included keeping relevant with dental technology and improvement in productivity and quality. Features that were particularly not liked when using CAD/CAM were marginal fit, aesthetics, time needed during appointments, and navigating the software. The biggest factors contributing to non-users of CAD/CAM were lack of training, and clinicians entering an administrative role
Conclusions: In general, the availability of CAD/CAM technology has led to changes in the dentist’s clinical decision making, and in the use of dental materials, and the perception that it will play a significant role in the future of dentistry.