Article: United States: Tooth restoration turns to 3-D computerized process.

Byline: Mamta03

For decades, wax and small hand tools have been used to design dental restorations at Dental Prosthetic Services Inc. But in April, the Cedar Rapids-based company began creating restorations in a virtual world.

Dental technicians now are using a system that incorporates haptics, or the science of touch. A touch-enabled stylus makes it possible to "feel" the "digital wax" as technicians apply, carve and smooth the wax on a 3-D image on a computer screen that can be manipulated.

Dental Prosthetic Services has been using the SensAble Dental Lab System to make the majority of metal crowns and frameworks, said Kristine Van Cleve, ...

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