Stephen J. Sterlitz, DDS, MS, ABGD, is an associate professor and division chief in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry in Lexington. He is retired from the U.S. Navy Dental Corps. As an adviser to the Navy Surgeon General, Sterlitz was instrumental in the implementation of chairside dental CAD/CAM capabilities throughout Navy Medicine. He can be reached at Stephen.Sterlitz@uky.edu.
As digital dental technologies continue to gain traction, more and more dentists are adopting intraoral scanning in lieu of conventional tray impressions.
By understanding how milling machines work, clinicians can modify their tooth preparations to achieve optimal fit and material performance from CAD/CAM restorations.