CAD/CAM technology has been around for more than 25 years, with Sirona’s CEREC system paving the way for all others that have come along since. The earliest versions of CAD/CAM technology had a steep learning curve, requiring a major time investment by dentists interested in performing digital restorations.

Not until 2003 did CEREC become more accessible. A new software platform was released, which opened the technology to a wider field of dentists. Practitioners responded positively to CEREC’s unique ability to capture an image of a tooth, then generate a model of the restoration in 3D.

As more users embraced the technology, they inspired one another to create more intricate restorations, advance their skills and share their feedback about the system with other doctors. A climate emerged in which doctors who were initially intimidated by CEREC began to see how Sirona’s CAD/CAM digital impressioning system could be integrated into their private practice – and how it could benefit their patients.

Each time Sirona updated its CEREC software, it enhanced the user experience as well as provided for faster and more accurate results. However, the software platform was virtually unchanged from its release. Customers were asking for innovative solutions to issues they were facing, but the software updates were merely temporary fixes to an underlying problem with the base of the software.

In 2009, CEREC software engineers set out to develop a brand new software platform for Sirona’s pioneering CAD/CAM software. When it was released in 2011, CEREC 4.0 Software was heralded by the industry for its programming platform, which allows new enhancements to be quickly and efficiently coded, among its many other user features and benefits.

For the past six months, CEREC 4.0 has been rolling out to CEREC system owners, with installation and training help from Patterson Dental and Sirona representatives. Customers who had an earlier version of Windows also received an upgrade of that software in order for their system to work properly.

While it’s officially been out for some time, doctors are just beginning to put the new software to use in their practice. Some are reluctant to do so, based on prior experience with upgrades or a misperception about a steep learning curve. In fact, CEREC 4.0 Software developers not only designed a highly flexible platform for the software, they presented an intuitive and user-friendly system that doctors are easily adapting into their practice.

The first difference from the prior CEREC software that practitioners will notice is a brand-new Graphical User Interface. The crisp graphics, clear icons and imaging were developed in conjunction with a graphic design firm, and make the impressioning process simple and enjoyable to look at.

One of the biggest advantages of the new software over older systems is the Design Tool Wheel, which appears when you right-click your mouse. This new feature replaces the tool box, and makes it much easier to interface with the new design. Right-clicking is more intuitive and allows the user to remain on the tooth screen while he or she works.

For doctors who rely on CEREC to complete multiple restorations, perhaps the biggest benefit of CEREC 4.0 is the Multi-tooth Simultaneous Design feature. A doctor can work on an unlimited number of restorations at one time, which broadens the scope of what is possible to deliver in a single visit.

Additional benefits include the ability to Work Directly on the Tooth, even in different quadrants and arches; and a Streamlined Restoration Design, which is the ability to move forward and backward without undoing previous design steps.

There is a common misperception among CAD/CAM practitioners that CEREC hardware or instrumentation is difficult to use. In reality, the ease of use comes from the software platform that is paired with the hardware. With the introduction of CEREC 4.0, the issue of usability is solved, and the hardware shines as a stylish, ergonomic model on which to execute digital impressions. The ultimate chairside restoration system combines a CEREC Acquisition Center (AC) powered by Bluecam, with CEREC 4.0 Software.

From 2009 to the release date, more than 65 software engineers worked together to design and develop CEREC 4.0 Software, and it was tested by hundreds of alpha and beta testers around the world. CEREC’s goal has always been to enhance the patient experience by providing the highest quality restorations in a single visit. With CEREC 4.0 Software, doctors are finding it easier than ever to attain that goal.