Health Technology Assessment of CAD/CAM in Dentistry

Introduction: Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) are the latest achievements of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry. The aim of this research is to help make appropriate decision whether to use this technology in Iran. Methods: Studies were included in this review that compared Dental CAD/CAM with conventional restorative methods in terms of safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness using Cochrane Library, CRD and Pub med. Results were analyzed using qualitative methods. Results: Six articles were used. Different indices of effectiveness in two types of application were found through the studies. Total failure rate for dental inlays was obtained as 0, 2.6% in 3 studies during a 4-year period and 1.75% in a 7-year period. It was 0.53% and 3.61% in two studies for prosthesis. Five-year survival rate for dental inlays was obtained from 91.6% to 100% and for prosthesis 72.2% to 100% in two studies. In terms of cost-effectiveness ratio of this technique compared to traditional methods, using ceramics fabricated along with chair side CAD/CAM is higher than traditional method; thus using it provides higher cost-effectiveness ratio than restoration by gold. Conclusion: This technology seems to be safe and effective and if this application is performed by specialists in the field of prosthetics, it will have favorable results. Although this HTA study confirmed the cost effectiveness of the dental CAD/CAM, economic evaluation of the technology in Iran is recommended for the future.