The Investigation of SimEx-Plus Education System Integrates a Software EPCAD for Fabricating Crown

Objectives: SimEx-Plus (EPED Inc.) was already a mature dental AR training simulation system that allowed students to practice high quality tooth preparation. In the prosthetic training process, the construction of the crowns was another key point. Only high precision prosthesis could reduce the occurrence of secondary caries. Now the EPCAD software was developed further that gave students to learn digital crown fabrication. This study used the newly developed EPCAD software that was integrated within the SimEx-Plus to design dental crowns, and used digital output to mill crowns. The marginal gap of the crowns was evaluated whether the designed crown meet clinical requirements. We hope the SimEx-Plus dental AR training simulation system could achieve the multi-purpose function in one machine.
Methods: A L’t maxillary central incisor was prepared in the standard dental model. The subgroup was divided into four different settings for digital output. The prepared dental models were then scanned by desktop scanner, and the STL files were set into SimEx-Plus dental AR training simulation system. The crowns were designed by EPCAD software and the milled by 4-axis dental milling machine (VHF, N4+, vhf camfacture AG). The marginal gap was evaluated.
Results: The marginal gaps of the crown set on the L’t maxillary central incisor were among 68.27~89.80 μm. The different setting for digital output did not influenced the marginal gap (p> 0.05, One-Way ANOVA). However, the marginal gap on the lingual side was larger than that on labial, mesial, distal and incisal surface (p< 0.05, One-Way ANOVA).
Conclusions: Within the limited data from this study, the new software EPCAD that integrated within the SimEx-Plus dental AR training simulation system could design crowns, and the designed crowns had good enough marginal gap for clinical use. The students could learn tooth preparation and digital crown fabrication at the same time by the SimEx-Plus dental AR training simulation system.